You Are the Reason - A Dawsey Fanfic
by HeatherC12
Summary: So after that S6 finale left us Dawsey fans a little shell shocked & upset, I decided I needed an outlet for my emotions and even though I haven't written anything fictional in like 8 yrs, I started my own Dawsey fanfic. This story got into my head right after the finale and now I'm finally ready to share it. I can't wait to hear what you all think and thanks S&R for the help! )
1. Act One

**You Are the Reason - A Dawsey Fanfic**

 **Act One**

" _There goes my heart beating, cause you are the reason  
I'm losing my sleep, please come back now_

 _There goes my mind racing, and you are the reason  
That I'm still breathing, I'm hopeless now"_

Casey sighed as he hopped off Truck 81 and hung up his turnout coat. They were returning from a tough fire at an apartment complex and he was exhausted from running in and out of the building. He rubbed his neck as he followed his guys and thought for a moment about staying with them to finish the dinner that they'd left behind for the call but decided against it once he saw how talkative they were in the common area. He didn't feel like being chatty. He managed to pick up what was left of his food and head down the hallway without anyone noticing and was thankful for the quiet of his office. He sighed again as he sat down.

Nothing on this shift had been anything out of the ordinary for House 51 but at the same time, everything was different. Casey looked on his desk and saw the bright brown eyes and shining smile of his wife, Gabriela Dawson, staring back at him. She wasn't there but he always felt her presence when he was on shift. She was off in Puerto Rico on an assignment with a CFD task force that was helping the country recover from Hurricane Maria. The assignment was for three months and the end of it was coming up soon but it would never be soon enough for Casey. She'd been gone for 2 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, and 16 hours…he couldn't help but keep track. On one hand it felt like a million years since she'd left but on the other, it felt like only yesterday that he'd taken her to O'Hare where they'd both said, "See you later" (no goodbyes…that was the promise). He knew that things were going well for her down there, they spoke on the phone twice a week, but he still missed her. She was experiencing new things, meeting new people, helping fix a country, and he was just, there. He sat back in his chair, his food forgotten, and thought about how they had gotten to this point. Where did it all go sideways?

 ***flashback***

 _Gabby slowly walked into her and Matt's apartment and sighed as she put her coat down on a chair. She looked around but saw no sign of him in the living room. The lights were mostly out but she saw something coming from their bedroom so she headed in that direction. She opened the door and saw him sitting on the floor in front of their bed with his head resting on the end. He looked so lost that her heart broke. She slowly approached him and said, "Hey"._

 _He turned with a start, so much concern all over his next words, "You came home. I was starting to wonder after it got so late."_

" _I'm sorry. I know I said I would only be gone a little while but I guess time got away from me. I ran an errand and then just needed some time to myself before coming home."_

 _He gave her one of his small smiles before asking, "Are you okay?"_

" _Yeah," she returned his smile and sat down next to him on the floor. "Please tell me you haven't been sitting on the floor this whole time."_

 _He chuckled as he answered her, "No, I was out on the couch before I came in here."_

 _She was glad that he hadn't been stewing on the floor all this time. She knew they were both still fragile from their earlier fight. It was a rough one. Things had gotten so tense between them throughout this whole baby situation and she was scared to rock the boat by bringing it up again. She knew they needed to talk though and it had to be that night. She prepared herself for what could be a tough conversation and decided to just go for it._

" _How did we get here Matt?"_

" _Honestly, I have no idea Gabby. One minute we're having all kinds of fun trying to get pregnant, the next we're being told about that scary aneurysm that makes pregnancy dangerous for you, then we're fighting in our kitchen over the best way to add a child to our family, and it all snowballed from there. I feel like I got hit by a brick to be honest."_

" _That's pretty accurate", Gabby said as she sighed next to him. "We're both pretty emotional anyway so this whole thing just rocked us to our core."_

" _You forgot stubborn," Matt said wryly as he smiled at her, "but yeah, that news really did shake us up. Neither of us expected that type of news". She smiled softly back at him and nodded before continuing the conversation._

" _I'm sorry that I was so stubborn about having a baby. I know you weren't trying to upset me with the whole adoption thing or even with everything you said earlier tonight. You were just trying to find a solution for us that would keep me safe. I didn't see that before but I do now. I thought I was explaining my reasons for this decision well but looking back, I know that it didn't come across that way."_

" _I'm sorry too Gabby," Matt said quietly as tears threatened in his eyes. "I never meant to leave you out of that adoption thing. I knew it was something that would be hard for you and I only wanted to get information from them, but I don't think I realized how much it hurt you to think about raising an adopted child. This isn't the same situation as Louie was for us, but I get now how much it scared you that it would turn out the same way. I'm sorry for that and for not saying things right on my end either. We're both guilty of not communicating our best through this whole thing."_

" _Yeah, I think we've been talking *at* each other instead of talking *to* each other and that's what created this mess. I really don't like fighting with you Matt."_

 _Matt nodded before saying, "I don't like it either" as Gabby leaned into his side and rested her hand on his knee. Now that their emotions weren't as high, they were much calmer and felt more, well, normal. They sat that way for a while before Gabby cleared her throat and prepared herself for the next part of their conversation._

" _I think we should table this whole baby thing for a while," she said quietly. "This all happened so fast that it didn't give us a chance to breathe. I thought tonight about what Herrmann told us after we lost Louie. He said that sometimes you have to live with the pain for a while…process it. We need to admit that the news we got about my health was the 'real blow' for us this time and admit that it really hurt. We haven't really done that yet and I think we need to before we can get past our differences. I know I need to sit with it for a while myself…I don't think I've really processed the medical part of this yet and I know I need to."_

 _Gabby felt Matt nod next to her. He rested his hand on hers and said, "I think you're right. That was such a big blow for us. I don't think either of us saw that coming. I really do feel like we could figure out something that works for both of us but I still don't know why were in such a big rush to fix it all at once."_

" _I think I know…at least for me", Gabby said quietly. Matt turned to look at her and saw that her face had grown sad. He squeezed her hand hoping it gave her some strength._

" _I haven't been the same person since Shay died. I think somewhere deep inside me I knew this but when I was out today it really hit me…" Gabby paused to sniffle a bit as she remembered her lost friend. Matt turned so she could lean further into his side. Clearly this was something not related to their earlier fight and it worried him as she continued her story._

" _That should have been me Matt…the person who died in that warehouse explosion. Shay and I switched places when we were taking care of that patient near the stairs. When that beam came down it landed right where I'd been standing. It shook me so much and I struggled for a long time trying to process what happened."_

 _Gabby swallowed hard before continuing, "I went to see Chaplain Orlovsky because I was so overwhelmed and finally told him about the beam. He was great and let me cry it all out in his office one day. I thought that would have helped me move past the pain and loss but now, after how I reacted to this medical issue and being told I shouldn't have a baby, I think I've confused my strength and confidence with something bigger. I think over time I've been trying to, I don't know…sort of, prove to the world somehow that I'm worth being here? I know that must sound really odd."_

" _No," Matt said quietly. "Grief can do weird things to us so I get it. I went through difficult issues with Darden and Hallie's deaths. We never really get over losing someone close to us when it happens that way…you just learn how to deal with it over time."_

 _Gabby nodded, remembering how hard Matt took it when they died and how long it took him to recover from each one. She took a breath before continuing._

" _It wasn't just being confident in my abilities. It was helping anyone when I could and trying to do everything possible to prove myself. I felt like I had to be the best paramedic, the best candidate, the best friend, the best girlfriend, the best sister, the best wife, and on and on and on. If something got in my way or someone tried to tell me that I couldn't do something, it just made me even more determined to do it. Every single obstacle I faced these last few years just made me more determined to not let it get in my way. It wasn't just you, I wasn't taking advice from other people either. That strength that everyone always saw in me had become more of an obsession and I realize now how much it's affected all my relationships."_

 _Gabby paused for a moment and Matt thought back to a few of their more recent arguments. The thing with Bria popped into mind first and he remembered how determined Gabby had been to help that girl. Her determination to be a foster mom to Louie even though he had been against it at first. He thought about all the times she didn't tell him something she was working on or kept information from him because she knew he wouldn't agree with it._

 _She used to come to him with all her problems and it startled him to realize that over time, that had changed between them. No wonder she had reacted so badly to this aneurysm news…this wasn't something she could fix on her own, and she'd forgotten how to rely on another person. He really did love her independence and strength but she couldn't be strong all the time and that's all he wanted for them…for her to rely on him when she couldn't handle it on her own. He stroked her hand to make sure she knew he was still right there with her._

" _I'm sorry that I've put distance between us at times during our relationship. I love you so much and I never meant to hurt you. My brain was seeing reliance on someone else as a weakness and proof that maybe I should have been the one who died in that warehouse, and it made me act in ways that, looking back now, I think I would have handled differently."_

" _I know I've put my own wants and needs above yours and I'm so sorry for doing that. I know that's not how marriage works and its not how friendships work either. Sylvie yelling at me after our call today about being selfish was another thing that triggered all this in my brain. I don't want people seeing me that way. I really don't want you seeing me that way."_

 _Gabby was crying at this point and Matt shifted again so he could hold her close to him. His heart was breaking for her. Yes, at times she'd done things her way and not listened to anyone else's advice, but deep down, he knew that Gabby had a heart of gold and that she only wanted to help people. He remembered how many times she'd been there for him when he was at his absolute worst and how much they'd supported each other through their miscarriage and losing Louie. He stroked her hair as she continued to cry in his arms._

" _It's okay Gabby and for the record, I don't see you that way at all. I know how much you love to help others and I never mind when you have these big ideas or something a little crazy that you want to do."_

" _I just want you to let me go there with you so you're not dealing with everything alone. You don't have to depend on me all the time; I just don't want to be left behind as we go through our life together, and, just for the record," he stopped for a minute and raised her head so he could look into her eyes, "Your strength? Your passion? Your desire to help others? Those *are* all the things I love the most about you. Tonight's mess doesn't change that for me, but for us, this baby decision isn't something that either of us can do on our own. We need to figure it out together because it directly affects both of us. I agree that tabling the baby discussion is a great idea. I really am okay with that."_

 _Gabby smiled at him and gently stroked his face. He had reacted to her confession better than she thought he would but then again, Matt had always been way more understanding than he needed to be about things so she wasn't all that surprised by his reaction either. They held each other for a while and eventually decided to go to bed after a very exhausting day and talk more tomorrow. They slept in each other's arms, tired from the overly emotional evening but finally finding some peace._

 ***end flashback***

The next day was when Gabby had told him about the Puerto Rico trip and how Chief Hatcher had asked her to be part of this CFD task force that had been created to help with the recovery efforts. They laughed about how hard it must have been for him to ask her since they knew he didn't like her that much.

Matt got quiet though as she told him about the trip and what all they would be doing there. He was upset at first thinking that she was running away from him, especially after their talk the night before, but he quickly realized that this trip wasn't about them but about her finally finding some peace of mind again and healing her past pain. Her confession the night before showed him how much being in Chicago wasn't helping her so he encouraged her to go with the team. He could see that she needed a break, not just from the emotional bruises they'd been dealing with in their marriage, but the job issues that had suddenly formed at the house.

They were pleasantly surprised that it turned into a great discussion between them since it could easily have ended up in another fight. They both have a passion for helping others though and they knew it wasn't something that would last forever. It sounded like an incredible opportunity for Gabby to make a difference in a country that was still struggling all these months after Maria. He made her promise to call him at least twice a week so they could keep in touch and they made plans for him to come visit halfway through her assignment.

Unfortunately, another curve ball was thrown at them when Matt got injured on a call and ended up in the hospital a few days before he was supposed to leave. Then he got sidelined with a horrible bout of the flu that flattened him for a week and he couldn't make that trip to see her. They were both heartbroken about this turn of events but another trip was quickly planned and thankfully, it was coming up soon. He was scheduled to leave for Puerto Rico in a little over a week and he couldn't wait to see her. He knew the work they were doing down there had brought her a lot of peace and joy and he couldn't wait to share that with her.

Casey sighed again. His trip was soon but not soon enough. Nothing about Chicago had ever bothered him before but the routine of his current life was starting to get to him.

Chief Boden was still trying to deal with Grissom as the new commissioner and it was overwhelming at times. Political issues were not his favorite thing but he kept getting dragged into the CFD problems because of one, his alderman experience, and two, as the second highest ranking officer at the house, Boden was strongly relying on him for support. He was happy to give Boden whatever support he could but Grissom was such a pill and he was making life miserable for everyone. Budget constraints, odd decisions, protocol changes…they weren't sure when the changes were going to stop. Boden was more stressed out than Casey had ever seen him and he worried that his chief was going to break at some point soon.

As if that wasn't enough, his fellow first responders at House 51 were getting on his nerves as well and he knew it was horrible to feel that way. They didn't know the whole story, he and Gabby had decided not to tell them about all their fights or baby struggles, and while their friends understood her desire to go help in Puerto Rico, they seemed to be going out of their way to try to make Casey feel not alone. He wasn't really depressed, he kept himself busy with construction jobs in addition to his captain duties, but the more they talked about him not having Gabby there, he started feeling lousy and didn't want to do anything with them. Herrmann especially seemed intent on making him feel part of everything. Casey knew they meant well but he finally made the decision to limit his time with them to the occasional drinks at Molly's and working with them at House 51. He couldn't handle more than that right now. He knew they missed Gabby too but the constant checking on him and asking him how he was doing was becoming tiresome.

His phone startled him out of his thoughts and he smiled as he saw a familiar number pop up on his screen. He smiled as he answered the call, "Hey babe, how are things going this week?"

"Lousy," Gabby said as she sighed into the phone. "We have a big problem. Our lead contractor, the guy who's been the head of the construction planning down here for months, had a family emergency in New York and left today. We have no one who has the experience to keep the current projects going which means our assignment here is gonna end sooner than they planned and will leave several families without finished homes. It's so disappointing that we won't be able to finish what we started for them."

Matt's face fell as he listened to Gabby's story. This task force had done some amazing work helping rebuild several homes and businesses outside the city of Carolina. The team had been joined by some of the Carolina citizens in the rebuilding efforts but they didn't have the background or experience to maintain the projects' pace without extra guidance. He knew that they were all on a strict timeline for finishing this work prior to the end of their assignment. Gabby had helped with some of the homes but her main job was to help educate the citizens about healthcare issues and assist the medical team with the language barrier as necessary. He was thinking about ways to help them when an idea suddenly came to mind.

"How much do you guys have done right now?" he asked Gabby while looking at his calendar and checking his current furlough availability.

"Everything is still in progress, we're way past the planning stages for this area now, but it's not like we can leave floors half done, walls unbuilt, and cabinets uninstalled which is what happened today when Tom left for New York. No one knew what to do next in any of these projects or even how to read all the plans that he left behind."

Matt noted a couple of things about his schedule and then shared his idea with Gabby, "Well, how would you feel about me coming down there early to help out?"

"Really?!" she exclaimed excitedly into the phone. "You would do that?"

"Of course," he said smiling. "I'm coming down there soon anyway and I have the furlough available to make this a longer trip. I know I could read those plans and help everyone get back on track. I could also use the longer break from the Grissom drama here in Chicago. Do you think the team would be okay with me coming early?"

"Are you kidding?" Gabby couldn't help laughing at his question. "They've all been so anxious to meet my handsome, brave, firefighter husband that I think they'll be thrilled about you coming early. They'll be even more excited that you can help them finish all this work and hey, now I get to see you a lot sooner than I originally planned which is just, the best thing ever. I've missed you SO much babe."

The big goofy grin that Matt reserved only for his wife was plastered all over his face as he listened to her excitement at seeing him soon. He moved the phone to his left hand so he could jot some details down in his notebook and said, "Then it's settled. I'm gonna get on the phone with the airline now and see how much I can move my flight up and then let you know what day I'll be joining you in Puerto Rico. I'm pretty sure Boden can live without me for a bit longer although I can't promise he won't do something bad to Grissom while I'm gone."

Gabby chuckled into her phone, "Perfect. I'll let you go then so you can take care of everything. I'll go talk to Chief Hatcher and the others to let them know that help is on the way. Keep me posted so I can help get you from the airport to our complex here."

"Will do," Matt said with a smile. "Take care of yourself and I'll see you soon. I love you babe."

"I love you too baby. Keep your badge off the wall," Gabby said before they hung up. Matt got straight to work getting his trip moved up and putting in the request for longer furlough. Suddenly life wasn't looking so mundane anymore and the excitement of seeing his wife soon gave him extra motivation to get through his last shift at 51 before heading to Puerto Rico.

" _I'd climb every mountain and swim every ocean  
Just to be with you and fix what I've broken  
Oh, cause I need you to see, that you are the reason"_

END OF ACT ONE


	2. Act Two

**You Are the Reason - A Dawsey Fanfic**

THANK YOU so much for the great responses and reviews for Act One! I wasn't sure what to expect when I put this out there but I'm so happy that you're all enjoying it. You may or may not have noticed but the title for this story comes from the song by Calum Scott called "You Are the Reason" (aka, the best/worst Dawsey song in the world after CF left them in such a bad place in the season finale, LOL) and I originally had plans to use lyrics from the song in each Act but I've added to the amount of Acts that I plan to write since I came up with the title so I don't know if I'll do that every time now. I'm gonna play it by ear with that decision. I actually have things planned out very specifically for how Casey & Dawson's story is going to go and I hope I don't let you down with the rest of it. This Act is set exclusively in Puerto Rico and since I've been to PR myself, I'm glad I get to use a little of that knowledge for this story. I apologize for any errors in any of the Spanish dialogue but I'm going to do my best!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything although if I did, I know I would have written a much better CF S6 finale. 😉

 **Act Two**

Matt anxiously looked out the window of the plane and was greeted by the bluest water he'd ever seen as they approached Puerto Rico. They were about twenty minutes from landing at Luis Munoz Marin Airport in San Juan and Matt was captivated by the view. He understood that Gabby and the task force had been doing hard work while stationed there but waking up to views like the one he was seeing had to be part of the reason she seemed so relaxed every time he spoke to her. He could feel his stress level decrease more and more during their approach and descent into San Juan.

Once they were stopped and secured at their gate, he gathered up his things and followed the other passengers off the plane. As he headed to baggage claim to get his suitcase, he looked around to find the transportation area. Gabby and the task force had been set up at an apartment complex in a secured area in the city of Carolina and they had their own personal drivers who took them to and from their worksites (most of those were outside the city limits). She was able to send one of their drivers to pick him up at the airport so he wouldn't have to find his way to them on his own. He was grateful that someone who knew the area would be taking him to that apartment complex. He knew a little bit of Spanish from spending so much time with Gabby's family, and he'd reviewed some of the more common phrases while on the plane, but while waiting for his bag, he was suddenly nervous around all the fluent Spanish speakers in the airport.

As he grabbed his bag from the carousel, he happened to see someone off to his right with a sign that had his name on it. He figured that was his driver so he headed towards the young man who greeted him with a smile, "Senor Casey?"

"Yes, that's me," Matt said as he held out his hand to the young man. "Thank you for picking me up today."

"It is my pleasure," the young man said shaking his hand and slipping easily into English. "My name is Jose and I am happy to finally meet you. Your wife, Gabriela, has been so kind and helpful to all of us and we are glad that you are here now too."

Matt smiled as Jose took his suitcase and directed them towards the transportation area and his waiting van. The airport still wasn't accepting as many flights as it did before Maria hit but he was pleasantly surprised at how well things were running overall. When the other passengers and staff had found out why he was coming to Puerto Rico, they were all excited for him to see his wife and so grateful that he was taking time out of his life to help out there.

The drive to Carolina was uneventful and Matt found Jose friendly and informative. He and his parents were fortunate that their home was spared the worst damage from Maria but they had several friends who weren't so lucky so they had made it their life mission to help their island recover and get back on it's feet again. His father worked with the task force on the construction team and his mother was a nurse who worked with the medical staff. Jose himself was in college part time but drove the task force back and forth when he didn't have classes during the week and helped with construction on weekends. He was eager to hear more about Matt's construction experience and their conversation made the forty-five-minute drive to Carolina much quicker.

Jose finally pulled up to a brightly colored section of apartments and parked in front of a bright red one. Matt wasn't entirely surprised that Gabby had chosen one of this color…it fit her personality to a tee. He chuckled as Jose got his suitcase out of the trunk and put it on the ground next to him. He turned to the young man, "Thank you again for picking me up Jose. Will I be seeing you at any of the worksites while I'm here?"

"I have my finals this week but I will be helping out when I can," Jose answered. "I am grateful that they let me have a flexible schedule so I can continue my schooling."

"That's great. I look forward to seeing you there," Matt said as he shook the young man's hand again. "Good luck with your finals."

Jose thanked him and headed back to the van while Matt headed up the sidewalk to his wife's apartment. Suddenly he was nervous. They hadn't seen each other in almost three months and while their phone conversations had been good overall, he knew that they weren't 100% back to normal yet in their relationship. He gathered himself and knocked on her door. Practically before he knew what was happening, the door flew open and Gabby nearly jumped into his arms. They held each other for a few moments, both overcome with the emotion of being apart for so long, and so grateful to finally be together again.

Gabby finally released Matt and took a minute to just look at him. She had kept herself extra busy with work so she didn't become totally miserable after he wasn't able to make his previously scheduled trip, but now she was so ecstatic that this day was finally here that she'd barely been able to function at work. The medical team had actually sent her home early that day because she was so distracted and the waiting around her apartment for his arrival had made her extremely antsy. She touched his cheeks and smiled as he held her close, "You're finally here."

Matt smiled back and rested his head on her forehead. "Yes…finally! I'm not gonna lie…I was nervous this day wasn't going to come after what happened last time."

Gabby closed her eyes and lightly stroked the back of his neck, something she had missed doing while they were apart, and eventually looked into his bright blue eyes again. "I was too. I cannot tell you how much I've missed you Matt."

He rubbed her back and they finally shared a long-awaited kiss, only breaking apart when they realized they were still standing on her porch and hadn't even gone into her apartment yet. Preferring not to give all her neighbors a PDA show that afternoon, Gabby finally moved aside enough so that Matt could take his bags and head into her living room. She quickly closed the door behind them and then gave him another big hug. She felt like if she wasn't in his arms that he wasn't really there so she hoped he didn't mind her being all clingy for a while.

Matt finally broke the hug and smiled at his wife again. Her face was bright, excited, and happier than he had seen her in a long time. They stared at each for a few moments before Gabby finally spoke again.

"So welcome to my little home here in Carolina. It's not much but it's been comfortable and pleasant for me although I have to admit that it's been lonely at times."

Matt finally took a look around the apartment. She was right…it wasn't much but it was clean, pleasant, and felt like a home. He noticed a sectional couch off to his left and the TV and shelving unit over to his right placed up against the wall. Behind Gabby was her kitchen which was significantly smaller than their one in Chicago but looked up to date and roomy enough. Gabby noticed him looking around and filled him on the rest of his surroundings, "This is the main living area and that's my very small but passable kitchen. Down the hallway is the laundry room and beyond that is the bedroom and bathroom. Most of these apartments were all designed for one person, two at most, so they worked out well for the task force to use for our housing."

"This is actually really nice," Matt said as he turned his attention back to his wife. "I'm glad they made things comfortable for you guys. That wouldn't be fun to work hard all day and come back to somewhere not so pleasant."

"I wish everyone had a comfortable area to live here," Gabby said sadly, "but they really are making some good progress on getting the electricity, water, businesses, and schools back in good working order. It's been slow but the island has been doing some amazing work. I love the people here. They have so much heart and a passion to make things better for everyone."

They smiled at each other again, so happy to finally be together. Gabby then took Matt's suitcase and led him back towards the bedroom while showing him the kitchen and laundry room along the way. She pointed to the bathroom so he would know where it was and then showed him one of the two dressers in the bedroom, "All the furniture came with the apartment but I barely filed up the one dresser. You can use this empty one to unpack so you don't have to live out of your suitcase the whole time you're here."

"Thanks babe," Matt said as he sat down to unpack. He wanted to ask her some questions and after seeing her sit down on the bed, he figured there was no time like the present and decided to go for it. "Um, how have things been going for you here? I mean, I know how the task force is doing and all but we haven't really talked much about how you're doing…especially after our talk at home. I know you had a bunch of things that were troubling you."

"Honestly," Gabby began, "the first couple of weeks were really difficult. I didn't want to say anything at the time because that was tough for us just being apart, but it was emotional and hard for me. I was thinking about Shay, about all the times I was a stubborn ass to people, especially you, and I was very conscious of the fact that I was completely alone here. It's one thing to feel strong and confident when you're at home but here? I actually felt vulnerable which was kind of scary for me. I mean, everyone on the task force is great. They made me feel so welcome and of course I knew Chief Hatcher, but when I really wanted to just talk to someone, there wasn't anyone here for me and I wasn't about to confide how I was feeling to a group of strangers."

Matt paused for a minute to look back at Gabby and saw her face darken. She looked back at him and gave him a small smile before continuing, "It got better though. There was one day about two weeks into my time here where we met some nuns who were helping out at the community center. Apparently, a previous volunteer group had helped repair some damage to their building a few months ago so they were now giving back by helping out wherever they could and this one lady, Mary Elizabeth, noticed me not being quite as outgoing as the others. She and I ended up working side by side one day and her kindness made me feel comfortable enough that I confided some of my fears and problems to her. She was very sweet and actually asked if it was okay for her to pray for me and my messed-up head."

"I wasn't sure what to think about the whole praying thing since we're not big church goers or anything, but having someone I barely know care enough about me to do that really affected me. It was after that moment that I started feeling a little more like my old self. I know I always talk a good talk about being strong and independent but I was reminded by her that I can still be strong even while allowing myself to depend on the people closest to me when I'm feeling broken. I don't have to handle everything on my own and somewhere along the line I forgot that which is what messed me up."

Matt finished unpacking and went over to sit by Gabby on the bed. He casually rubbed her back while she finished talking, "I've been feeling much better ever since that moment and Mary Elizabeth has become a great friend to me here. I told her all about you and we have an invitation to have dinner with her sometime while you're here. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," Matt said smiling. "She sounds like a wonderful lady. I can't wait to meet her."

Gabby was glad to hear that and smiled back at her husband. She was so glad to have him there. Suddenly she looked at her watch and realized that they were going to be late for dinner if they didn't leave soon. She looked back at him and said, "Um, I did tell you that Chief Hatcher invited us and the rest of the task force out for dinner tonight, right?"

"Yes," Matt said with a smile. "Do we need to leave soon?"

"Yeah," Gabby said standing up. "The restaurant's just up the road so it won't take us long to get there. I think if we leave in about ten minutes we'll be fine."

"Perfect," Matt said as he stood up, "just let me change into shorts first. It was about 24 degrees when I left Chicago this morning which was way too cold for shorts."

Gabby laughed, "That's one thing I haven't missed much…the cold Chicago weather!" She went to the bathroom to clean herself up while he changed into more comfortable clothes and soon they were on their way to dinner. They fell into easy conversation about some of the things going on in Chicago, Gabby wasn't happy to hear that Grissom was still being a pain to everyone, and soon they were at their destination.

The couple was greeted warmly by Chief Hatcher and Gabby enjoyed introducing Matt to the rest of the task force. She wasn't lying…they were all very excited to meet him and happy that he was able to come down early to help out. Dinner was lively and entertaining and the food was excellent. Matt made a mental note to be smart about his food choices while he was there or else he might eat himself out of his captain's job at home. He enjoyed hearing about the great things that they'd all been doing since their arrival in Carolina and he loved seeing Gabby so relaxed and calm. This trip had been so good for her well-being and he loved that she was so excited to share her experiences with him. Maybe that old phrase was true…absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

Dinner was a great success and Matt found himself excited to see what work would be waiting for him the next day. Those anxious feelings came back to him after they returned to Gabby's apartment though. It had been quite some time since they spent any sort of intimate alone time together and he wasn't sure what to expect on this first night in Carolina. As they got ready for bed, he wondered how to approach this topic with Gabby without feeling like he was pushing her or offending her by not mentioning anything. He realized quickly that he shouldn't have worried about anything because she walked right up to him and kissed him like a woman who was more than ready for them to make up for lost time. Suddenly getting a good night of sleep prior to his first day helping out the task force wasn't all that important…

" _There goes my hand shaking cause you are the reason,  
My heart keeps bleeding and I need you now"_

END OF ACT TWO


	3. Act Three

**You Are the Reason - A Dawsey Fanfic**

 _Thanks again for all the great reviews! Apparently, all the acts for this story are going to be super long which is why I've taken more time than I originally planned in between each one. This act was supposed to be written with the last one but that would have made it WAY too long! Anyway, this act is more of Matt & Gabby in Puerto Rico and I hope you enjoy where they're at here. Its so much fun to write them away from their normal lives in Chicago but I promise they will have some time there with all of their friends in the next act. Enjoy this next part of the story and please leave me a review so I know what you think! =)_

 **Act Three**

Gabby and Matt settled into a regular routine once they got busy with their work on the task force. The medical team didn't need Gabby that first week so she was able to help out the construction team while Matt quickly figured out Tom's work plans and was able to get everyone back on track at the four sites still in progress. He found himself not able to stay at one site very long so that he could make sure everyone stayed on track which ended up being great since he got to meet and spend time with so many people. He was happy to meet Miguel, Jose's father, at one of the sites and also enjoyed seeing Jose later in the week once his finals were over and he was able to help again. Gabby couldn't help watching Matt whenever he was working or visiting the same site as her because he looked so alive and seemed to enjoy being in charge of the various projects.

Their days were maxed out with trying to get all their work done but Gabby loved that they were still able to enjoy quiet evenings together at her apartment. On the Friday night after their first week of work, she and Matt were cuddled up on the couch and content to just be in each other's presence. She was resting in his arms while he alternated between stroking her back and playing with her hair. There was music playing on the TV and neither of them could remember the last time they had been so content.

Gabby could have sat like that all night but it started getting late and she had a question she wanted to ask him. She sat up on the couch while staying close to Matt and turned to him. "So, what do you want to do tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Matt asked. "You guys don't have to work on Saturdays?"

"Nope," Gabby replied as she shifted slightly. "We did when we first arrived but that only lasted about two weeks because they saw that it wore everyone out too much. The hours can be so long, especially on the construction team with it also being so hot outside, that only having one day to unwind and relax wasn't enough for everyone to be productive the following Monday. It's much easier for everyone to work hard during the week when they know they get the entire weekend to recharge their batteries."

"That's great for us then," Matt said smiling. "Maybe we can do some exploring around the island? I was looking at some things online prior to my trip and there were some places that I was hoping to visit while here."

"That would be fun," Gabby said excitedly. She was eager to show him some of the historical monuments and gorgeous scenery around Puerto Rico. "There's a lot we could see but I think our best bet is to find a driver or tour group so we can let them do the driving for us. The island isn't huge so I think we could see a lot together."

Matt grinned at his wife and loved how excited she was to spend the day together. He reached over to take her hand and kissed it before replying to her, "Sounds perfect. I love all the work that we've been doing here but spending a day sightseeing with my wife is the one thing I really wanted to happen during this trip. I would love to see the El Yunque National Forest along with Castillo San Felipe del Morro both of which looked great in the pictures I saw and Old San Juan looked interesting too."

She grinned back at him and then leaned in to kiss him. They stayed that way for a few minutes before she finally broke the kiss momentarily and gave him a look that he knew very well while saying, "I think I'm suddenly feeling a bit tired…are you ready to head to bed?"

"I'm more than ready to head to bed but I'm not even remotely tired yet," Matt said with a sly grin. Gabby laughed as he swept her up into his arms and headed towards the bedroom kissing her deeply along the way.

* * *

Halfway through the second week of work, Matt was exhausted and sunburnt from working so hard but he felt so alive inside that he didn't even mind. The construction team had finished two of their bigger house projects that week and the families that lived in each house were so excited to finally have their homes again that they couldn't stop thanking them. It made Matt happy to have made such a big impact on these great families that had been struggling for so many months. Their excitement about the newly finished homes was contagious and the team decided to celebrate together with a fun dinner the night before Thanksgiving.

Matt was laughing at one of Miguel's stories about his childhood, this man was proving to be one of the funniest guys he had ever met, when he noticed Chief Hatcher looking nervous and fidgety in his chair. He turned to him with a puzzled look on his face, "Everything okay chief?"

"Oh goodness, yes Matt," the chief said still slightly flustered. "I just get overwhelmed by the generosity of the people here. They've been living with so little for so long and yet they give away so much to all the people that have helped them."

Matt smiled and nodded in agreement but he wasn't convinced that was what was really bothering the chief. He looked at Gabby and realized she had noticed him acting weird as well. They exchanged a glance but continued on with dinner while each making mental notes to check in with him again later.

Everyone was finishing up dessert when they heard Chief Hatcher clear his throat to get the team's attention. The group looked up at their leader with some confusion and wondered what was on his mind. He smiled at them, "No one is in any trouble. I feel the need to say that since you're all looking at me like I'm about to kick you off the team tonight."

The group laughed and relaxed a bit while still wondering what was going on. The chief continued, "As you all know, we're coming to the end of our time here in Puerto Rico and I cannot thank you all enough for being part of this amazing experience. I know it's changed me both as a person and as a first responder and I imagine it's done something similar for all of you."

Gabby & Matt exchanged a look and he reached for her hand under the table. They understood what the chief meant and the working experience had definitely been a good one for them.

The chief continued, "We've made some great progress here and we should be very proud of that but I have some good and bad news to share with you all. I think I'll share the bad news first just to get it out of the way. Um, I know we're all supposed to be finishing up our time here and be completely done before breaking for the Christmas holiday but apparently there have been some issues with the next groups coming here in January and we've been asked to keep some of our team here to help facilitate the transition."

Gabby and Matt's faces fell along with several other members of the team. They weren't the only ones who had been living apart all this time and the realization that some people were going to be needed to stay and work longer than they'd planned wasn't welcome news. Chief Hatcher noticed their faces and quickly added, "I told them that this was fine but that I can't make this mandatory for my team members who've already been away from their homes and families for almost three months. They were fine with that so this is not a mandatory request but it is something that I need you guys to think about because I will need some of you to stay and help out. If you have any questions you can let me know before you leave tonight and I'll answer them."

"Now," he continued, "I'm gonna share the good news which I think you all need to hear. One of the families whose house we finished this week was so grateful to us for helping them out that they wanted to do something nice for everyone. It turns out that the brother of the father in that family is the manager of one of the all-inclusive resorts over in San Juan. He's offered us a wing of rooms there free of charge for the holiday weekend to thank us for helping his family, and since we decided earlier in this trip to not work over Thanksgiving, I accepted that amazing offer as a thank you to all of you for your hard work here. So, you will all get to enjoy some free time to yourselves at their resort, which is right on the beach I might add, and hopefully during that time you can decide for sure about staying here for a few more weeks after Christmas. I don't need an answer from you guys tonight…you can tell me later. I just need to know by Tuesday night at the latest and again, please don't feel pressured to stay. I know it's a lot to ask of you."

Everyone was surprised by the generous gift but also excited to have some free time outside of Carolina, something that most of them hadn't really enjoyed much of since they'd arrived months ago. Gabby was ecstatic that she was going to get a full weekend away with Matt without any work and away from her tiny apartment. A weekend at an all-inclusive resort with her handsome husband? That was exactly what she needed and by looking at Matt's face, he was more than ready for a romantic weekend with her too. She decided to not think about the chief's other request for now while making a mental note to talk to Matt about it later.

* * *

Gabby and Matt enjoyed every minute of their time at the resort. They went snorkeling, swimming, tried out the spa, attempted paddle boarding, and also enjoyed trying out all the food and fancy drinks that were available to them. It had been a whirlwind of work ever since Matt's arrival in Puerto Rico and finally having some time to themselves to relax and unwind was proving to be exactly what they needed after all their time apart.

They were enjoying some quiet time in bed one morning when it hit Gabby that this was literally the first time she and Matt had ever had any sort of vacation together. They never even had a honeymoon after they got married which hadn't bothered either of them much at the time but now, resting in each other's arms with the amazing view of the water out their window, she was wondering what in the world took them so long to plan a vacation. She had been resting her head on Matt's chest and she turned slightly to prop her head up on her hands so she could talk to him. "Why in the world is this the first time we've ever taken a vacation together?"

Matt laughed, "I was just thinking the same thing. I thought about us going away together all the time but I feel like something always came up to keep us in Chicago. I have to admit that I'm still bitter about us never having a honeymoon. I had so many ideas for places we could go but then life went haywire with Louie and well, those plans all kind of fell to the side."

Gabby sighed but also smiled softly at him. "Yeah, that definitely messed up our chances for having a nice honeymoon."

Matt reached out to stroke her face while he rubbed her back with his other hand. They stared at each other for a few moments before Gabby broke the silence, "You know, when you first got here you asked me how I was doing but I've never gotten the chance to ask you, so I want to ask now. How are you really doing at home? And don't give me the textbook answer that you've given me for almost three months…I'm pretty sure you haven't been 'fine' this whole time."

Matt smiled. She knew him too well and would see right through any answer he gave her that wasn't the truth. He sighed and then answered her question, "Honestly, I've been pretty miserable for most of the time and I'm kind of surprised that the house hasn't thrown me out on my ass yet."

Gabby chuckled at his blunt answer and then rested herself more comfortably on his chest as he continued answering her question, "The day after I dropped you off at O'Hare was one of the hardest days of my life. Everything had just happened so fast and I went from this happy husband trying to have a baby with his wife, to arguing about all the unpleasant medical stuff, to realizing that having some time apart wouldn't be the worst thing for us to get past our respective issues, to saying goodbye to you at the airport all within a few days. It was a lot to take in and I felt a bit lost."

Matt got quiet then and Gabby's heart broke. He wasn't one to talk much about how he was feeling and she realized then that he probably hadn't confided to anyone about their troubles or why she really went to Puerto Rico. She stroked his chest and tried to keep some tears from falling as she watched him gather more of his thoughts. He was opening up way more than he normally did about his feelings and she wanted to make sure he knew she was right there for him.

"My first few weeks without you weren't the greatest," Matt said quietly. "Everything in Chicago reminded me of you. I couldn't spend too much time at Molly's because I kept expecting to see you behind the bar. Every time I went into my office at the house I expected to see you sitting on my bed hiding from someone or something that you didn't want to face. Our apartment was so quiet that I had to have the TV or radio on all the time just so the lack of noise wouldn't drive me crazy."

"I also struggled with not having anyone to talk to since we decided that we weren't going to talk about our issues with the others. Honestly, the only thing that kept me going those first few weeks was talking to you and asking about what you were doing here. I liked knowing that you were doing okay and even though we were thousands of miles apart, I felt like we were getting closer just from taking this time apart to deal with our respective emotional states and by keeping in touch so well."

"Eventually I went to Chaplain Orlovsky because I just needed someone that I trusted to listen to me for a while and I remembered what you had said about how much he helped you after we lost Shay. He was wonderful and I felt better after talking to him a couple of times. He encouraged me to take whatever time I needed in whatever way that worked best to help me get through our time apart. He said that our friends would be okay and not to worry about them…I only needed to worry about myself. That was the thing that finally broke through and helped me function better. I still missed you like crazy but I knew that if you were doing great and getting stronger while you were gone, then I needed to do the same thing in Chicago so we could be stronger together once you came home. Missing my trip to see you was an unexpected blip in my plan to be okay while you were gone but getting this trip planned right away helped get me through that part. I really am doing better now but I still missed you all the time."

Matt finally finished talking and Gabby snuggled closer to him. She was happy that he had opened up and told her how he was really doing at home. She couldn't help worrying about him when he hadn't been all that open with her on the phone over these few months. She felt him smile against her head as he hugged her close too. Suddenly she had an idea and lifted her head up again to look in his eyes, "Thanks for sharing all that with me. I know it's not easy for you so it means a lot. And now that we've both been honest about how we've been doing apart, I have an idea. I think it would be really great to renew our vows."

Matt looked at her with a slightly confused look on his face. "You do? What brought this on?"

"Nothing specific," Gabby said as she rested her head on her hands again. "We've just been through so much in these last few months and recommitting to our marriage vows feels like something that would be really good for us right now. Nothing fancy or anything…just you and me, here and now, being open about our feelings and maybe making some personal promises to each other as we prepare to move forward again once I get home."

Matt sat up slightly and pulled Gabby up on the bed with him. He actually liked the idea, especially since they'd gone with traditional vows for their impromptu wedding, and he had a feeling Gabby all ready had something in mind that she wanted to say to him. He smiled at her and said, "OK, I like the idea and I think you should go first since I feel like you already have something in mind."

"I do," Gabby said with a smile. "I'll keep this casual and hopefully short and sweet."

"Matt," she began, "I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with at times. I know I've hurt you badly in the past by keeping things from you and especially with my reaction to our baby situation. I know I can be stubborn and get too involved with stuff at work. I want you to know how grateful I am that you're in my life and how sorry I am that I've been so impossible at times. I love you with everything I have and I promise, from now on, there will be no more secrets or me not sharing things with you. I know you're right here with me and our journey together as husband and wife means the WORLD to me. I really don't deserve you but I promise to make sure you always know how much you mean to me and to lean on you for strength more often, especially when I'm overwhelmed with something. You are my everything Matthew Casey and I plan to show you that as much as possible for the rest of our lives."

Matt fought back some tears that had formed while Gabby was talking and leaned in to kiss her gently after she finished her promises. They kissed for a few minutes which gave Matt time to get his own thoughts together. He finally broke the kiss and looked into her eyes…he was ready to make his own promises to her.

"Gabby," he began, "I'm not the easiest person to deal with either. I tend to keep my emotions to myself, and when I do need to talk about them, I often have trouble figuring out how to do it. You've seen me in my absolute worst moments and yet you've never left my side for one minute, even when I was a mess and could barely function. I know I have a temper and I try really hard not to let that out much. The last thing I ever want is to end up like my dad."

He paused for a moment to shake that thought from his head before continuing, "You've been patient with my short temper and have always been so loving and supportive when I've needed to cry something out. I love you with everything I have too and I promise to do everything I can to show you that so you never have a reason to doubt how I feel about you. I promise to be there for you when you're not able to be your amazing, strong self and to always listen when you get one of your crazy ideas so that we can tackle it together. I also promise never to push you into anything or make you feel like you have to do something by yourself. Gabriela Dawson, you are so much to me…my wife, my best friend, my lover, my confidant, my family…you're my absolute everything, and being married to you is the greatest joy in my life. You really are my miracle and I love you so much."

Gabby fought back her own tears after Matt finished his promises and they shared a tender and deep kiss. They had one more day left at the resort and each of them made good on their new promise to show the other how much they loved them.

" _If I could turn back the clock, I'd make sure the light defeated the dark  
I'd spend every hour, of every day, keeping you safe"_

END OF ACT THREE


	4. Act Four

**You Are the Reason - A Dawsey Fanfic**

 _Thanks so much for continuing to read this story! I'm glad that you guys are enjoying it and I so appreciate those of you who have taken the time to leave me a review. It means a lot since this is a very new experience for me! This act is set partially in PR and then will change to Chicago as Matt & Gabby enjoy time at home over the Christmas holiday. This is very much a transition type of chapter but I hope you still enjoy it and please leave me a review so I know what you think! =)_

 **Act Four**

It was the Monday after their weekend away at the resort in San Juan and Matt and Gabby were feeling especially relaxed after their time together there. Matt was heading back to Chicago on Wednesday morning and they didn't want to waste their last few days so they had a few things planned around the island. They had spoken to Chief Hatcher about his request for people to stay longer although Gabby wasn't ready to decide about that yet. Matt wasn't going to push her one way or the other. He knew better than to try to force her into anything. She hadn't said much since they'd gotten back from their meeting but he knew she was thinking about it. She hated leaving things undone and he knew that going home when there were still things left to do here would bother her. He also knew that she wasn't ready to say goodbye to him so he had no idea what she was going to do.

Matt was pondering how to approach the topic with her while searching in vain for a specific shirt to wear to dinner. They were meeting up with Gabby's friend Mary Elizabeth that night and he could not find his blue polo shirt. He called out to his wife who was in the laundry room, "Gabby? Have you seen my blue polo shirt?"

"This one?" Gabby asked as she returned to the bedroom holding the missing shirt.

"There it is," Matt said laughing as he took the shirt from his wife. "Thanks. I didn't bring a lot of clothes that weren't work related with me but I knew I had at least one clean polo shirt left."

"Are you still planning to do laundry before you head home?" Gabby asked him as she carried her laundry basket to the bed. "We'll need to get more detergent on our way home if you do because I just used the last of it."

"Yeah, if that's all right," Matt said as he adjusted his shirt. "Some of my work clothes are too smelly to leave in a suitcase too long. I'd at least like to wash those before I leave."

"What," Gabby teased, "You don't want to be reminded of sweating your entire outfit soaked in about two hours on the job sites?! I am shocked."

Matt laughed and came around to hug Gabby from behind while sneaking a kiss onto her neck. He snuggled her for a minute before answering, "Yeah, I think all the times you wouldn't come near me unless I changed clothes right after we got off work are enough of a reminder!"

Gabby laughed at his response and turned to give him a hug and kiss in return. They held each other for a minute until they remembered that they were heading to dinner soon. Matt gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and then let her go so he could put on his sandals. They began heading to the living room when he decided to just go for it and ask her about her decision, "Are you still thinking about Chief Hatcher's request?"

Gabby stopped for a second before answering, "I am. I just can't make up my mind at this point. I have so many thoughts running through my head and I don't want to decide anything until I'm 100% sure." She grabbed her keys and slipped into her own sandals.

"Makes sense to me," Matt replied as they then continued towards the living room. "I totally understand and just so you know, I fully support you no matter what choice you make here. I would love for us to get back to our life in Chicago but I know this request doesn't keep you here that much longer so it's fine with me either way. This really does have to be your decision."

Gabby melted at hearing her husband give her his full support about that decision. This is where they'd run into so much trouble in the past but now they understood that some decisions really do have to come from just one of them. Matt couldn't force her into coming home and he wasn't going to force her to stay either. This was one of the rare decisions that she needed to make for herself. She turned and gave him another big hug, "Thank you babe. That means a lot. Can we talk about this more after we get home from dinner? I really do want your input about the right thing to do here."

"Absolutely," Matt said as he hugged her tightly. "We'll figure it out and then maybe we can plan out our next few months too once we know what you want to do."

They smiled at each other one last time and then headed out to dinner.

Matt originally wasn't sure what he was getting himself into when he agreed to have dinner with a bunch of nuns but they ended up laughing together and having a great time. He actually had more fun there than he'd had on the entire trip. Those ladies were funny! They kept he and Gabby in stitches talking about their various trips around the island to help their fellow Puerto Ricans. Apparently, no one was expecting these ladies to be as funny as they are so they had some very interesting reactions from people when they showed up to help in their old school bus (aka, the Jesus Jalopy) and in habits that they had decorated with glitter just to bring a smile to everyone's faces.

Matt very much enjoyed meeting Gabby's friend Mary Elizabeth. She was such a sweet lady and he immediately saw the connection she had made with Gabby. She was protective, kind, and like a mother hen to her which made him happy that someone like her had been watching out for his wife while they were apart. Mary Elizabeth doted all over him right from the start and in fact, all the ladies had been very happy to meet him after hearing so much about him from Gabby. He was glad they all seemed to like him and he enjoyed spending the evening with them.

As they changed to get ready for bed, Matt looked around and wondered how a two plus week trip to a country he'd never visited before turned into such an amazing experience for him. He was sad that he had to leave soon but knowing that Gabby would also be home shortly made it easier to prepare for them to be apart again for a while. Whether she decided to stay and help or not, she was still going to be home for two weeks during Christmas and New Year's and that made him very happy. He felt good knowing they were closer to the end of her time in Puerto Rico than the beginning. They'd come a long way since that huge kitchen fight in their apartment.

"Matt?" Gabby called out from the bathroom.

"What's up babe?" Matt replied turning in her direction.

"I know we were going to talk more about this tonight but I think I've actually made my decision," she said quietly as she came into the bedroom. She swallowed hard before continuing, "I'd like to come back and help here after the Christmas break. I just can't leave when things are so up in the air with the next groups. I don't feel right doing that to everyone here after they've been so great to me. I really do want to come home though…this would just be a few more weeks. Please tell me this is okay with you."

Matt wasn't surprised even a little bit about Gabby's decision. He smiled and walked over to her to give her a hug, "It's fine with me. I had a feeling you weren't happy with the thought of leaving things unsettled so I was kind of expecting this answer."

"Thank you," Gabby said as she hugged him back tightly and wondered again how she got so lucky to have this man by her side as her husband. She knew she had made the right decision but she also couldn't wait for them to be together again at home.

* * *

Matt impatiently watched the screen at O'Hare while he waited for Gabby's plane to get to the terminal. She had texted him that they had landed safely but the plane hadn't arrived at the gate yet. He glanced over as a new group of passengers exited the security area but didn't see his wife. He sighed as he checked his phone again and continued to wait.

This time between when he returned from Puerto Rico and when Gabby would be home for the holidays wasn't supposed to feel like an eternity but it had been agonizing for him. He had gotten used to being around her all the time again. They had cooked together, watched TV, taken long walks, talked endlessly about anything and everything, worked together, shared a bed again…and then he came home to their apartment without her. It felt even bigger and quieter this time around which drove him crazy. He had kept himself busy with extra construction jobs, staying later at the firehouse when necessary, and trying to spend some time with his friends but he couldn't help how much he missed her.

His phone buzzed and he saw a text from Gabby saying she was finally on her way to him. He smiled and moved closer to the area where she would be coming through. He saw her smile before he saw the rest of her and before he knew what was happening, she was in his arms hugging him like she hadn't just seen him three weeks prior in Puerto Rico. He laughed as he hugged her tightly, "I guess you've missed me just as much as I've missed you these last three weeks?"

"The bed was SO empty without you!" Gabby said laughing. "I swear it felt like three months instead of three weeks. I'm so glad to be home with you now."

Matt kissed his wife's forehead and smiled down at her. Everything finally felt right in Chicago again now that Gabby was home. He still remembered that she was going back to Puerto Rico after the new year but it was just for a few weeks this time, no more than a month, so that made thinking about that a little easier. For now, he was going to enjoy having her at home again and make the most of their time together.

They headed off to baggage claim to get her suitcase and then began their journey home. Once they arrived there, Gabby couldn't help walking around their entire apartment and taking everything in. She'd been gone for several months but everything still looked the same. She laughed at what little food was in the fridge, or even in the kitchen in general, and half of the items were either expired or going to expire soon. Clearly cooking hadn't been on her husband's list of priorities since she'd been gone.

Matt took Gabby's things to their bedroom while she looked around the apartment and he soon found himself simply watching her as she explored their home and got her bearings again. She caught a glimpse of him watching her and headed in his direction. He recognized that look in her eyes.

"I think I have one more room to explore," she said suggestively, "but I might need your help with getting reacquainted with that one."

"My pleasure," Matt said smiling as he swept his wife into his arms and carried her into their room. As he kissed her and laid her on their bed, he was very glad he decided against making any plans for them to leave home on her first night back in Chicago.

* * *

Molly's was the happening place to be on New Year's Eve as firehouse 51 played hosts to a party for all their friends. Everyone had shown up to celebrate and also to spend more time with Gabby while she was in town. It was a fun and exciting evening but for Gabby and Matt, it was also bittersweet since she would soon be heading back to Puerto Rico.

Matt was sitting at the bar with several of his truck guys enjoying their goofy antics but also wondering how Gabby was doing. He glanced over his shoulder to locate her while Cruz and Otis laughed about something or other that had happened at a Christmas party in their building. He saw her still sitting at a table with Sylvie, Stella, and two of the ladies from the 21st precinct, Kim Burgess and Hailey Upton. She looked content but he could tell that she was getting tired so he made a mental note to figure out a way for them to leave not long after the ball dropped at midnight. She'd had a rougher than expected trip home and he was hoping to make these last few days much better for her.

Things had gone all right for the most part for Gabby and Matt but a few things related to other things had left them a bit frustrated in Chicago. For one, apparently the cold weather had affected Gabby more than she thought it would and she ended up falling ill with the flu just two days into her trip. She was barely healthy again by the time Christmas arrived and rather than run themselves ragged trying to see both of their families on Christmas Day, they spent the morning relaxing at their apartment before making short trips to see Gabby's dad at his place and her mom along with Antonio's family at his house. Then they went to Casey's sister's house to see her, his niece Violet, and his mom the day after Christmas which worked out better for everyone in the end.

Gabby eventually felt a little more human and was able to get out more but she and Matt weren't able to do all the things he had wanted to do during her trip home. Spending time with their friends hadn't gone as well as they'd hoped either which created some tension at the firehouse. Gabby had felt well enough to join 51 for a shift on ambo after the holiday which should have felt like old times for all of them but it didn't turn out that way. Ambo had been extremely busy so she and Sylvie were barely at the house and when they had breaks between calls, Gabby had wanted to share some of her task force stories with them, but most of the team didn't seem all that interested in hearing about her adventures which made her feel like an outsider in her work home.

Matt noticed this as well and actually asked the guys about it while the ambo was on a call. He didn't get the greatest answers from them. They all said that they admired Gabby for going there to help out but they got the impression that she had enjoyed being away from them and it made them uncomfortable. They admitted that they were having trouble talking to her because they were sad that she'd been gone for so long and frustrated that she hadn't said a proper goodbye when she originally left or kept in touch with them very well. Matt understood their feelings, and he wished that he could explain more details about why she'd left in such a hurry, but he pointed out to them that by not seeming interested in hearing about her life there, they were actually making her feel not welcome in her firehouse home. That wasn't their intention at all but when the ambo returned from their call, Gabby and Sylvie were both exhausted from their work and Gabby didn't feel like talking to anyone so they missed their chance. The guys did attempt to talk to her the next morning but the awkwardness got overwhelming for everyone and she ended up hiding in Matt's office until it was time to go home.

Matt sighed as he continued to listen to the guys chat around the bar. Things had gone better with everyone that evening but the awkwardness was still there, just in smaller doses. He held onto hope that this would go away once Gabby was home for good. He checked at his watch and saw that it was about 11:45 PM. After excusing himself, he grabbed his beer and headed towards the table Gabby was at so he could be with her at midnight. No way was he missing out on a New Year's kiss with his wife due to the antics of his truck guys.

Gabby noticed Matt moving towards her table and let out a quiet sigh of relief. She had enjoyed spending time with her friends that night but their constant complaining about their current relationships (or lack thereof) had completely worn her out. She struggled to remember if things had been this way prior to her trip and couldn't remember for sure. Had she really been gone that long that she didn't remember just hanging out with her friends? Or were the things that they had always talked about when they were out just not things that were a priority for her anymore? She still loved all of them dearly but after a rougher than expected trip home, she was actually looking forward to the peace and quiet of Carolina and her small apartment there.

Gabby turned her attention back to the other women at the table and listened to Stella complain about Severide's Christmas gift to her. Apparently, he had bought her some sort of fancy necklace that she knew she was never going to wear but she was scared to tell him that and didn't want to return or exchange it without mentioning it to him. She really didn't want to hurt his feelings. The other women were trying to help out with suggestions and Gabby finally couldn't take it anymore. She turned to Stella, "Girl, I'm going to be straight with you. Kelly doesn't do things without a reason. He bought you something really nice because he thought you would like it. You can't lie to him and act like you love it when you don't. If you're not honest with him, he's gonna be upset with you. If you want to have a solid relationship with Kelly, and I think that you do, then you need to tell him that while you appreciate the gift, you probably won't be able to wear it. You can then suggest that the two of you go out together to find something that you will wear. He's not going to get mad at you and it will help him in the future if he knows more about what you like and what you don't like. Trust me, being honest with your guy is very important."

Stella smiled at Gabby and thanked her for the advice. She gave her a quick hug as Matt finally approached their table. "Pardon me ladies," he said to them, "but I'd like to ring in the new year with my wife if I can steal her away from you before the ball drops." The other ladies smiled and wished the couple a Happy New Year as Gabby grinned at her hubby and bid the others a good night.

They walked to a quieter part of the bar to watch the ball drop together. Gabby rested comfortably in Matt's arms as he rested his chin on the top of her head. They stood that way for a few minutes as the countdown got closer to midnight. Eventually, the entire bar started the 15 second countdown to midnight and Gabby and Matt happily joined in. Everyone screamed Happy New Year together at midnight and after toasting with several friends standing around them, Matt and Gabby shared a deep kiss and took a moment to just be in each other's arms.

After a few moments, Matt broke the silence, "This is going to be our year Gabby. I know we've got another curve ball to navigate with this whole baby thing, but I really think that some great things are coming our way and I'm more than ready to see where life takes us. I love you so much babe."

Gabby smiled up at her hubby, "I love you too. I'm ready to see what this year has in store for us too. You know, someone once told me that we can face anything that comes our way as long as we do it together."

"Ahh, that person seems very wise," Matt said smiling. They stood quietly together a bit longer before finally saying goodnight to their friends and heading home. They had no idea what was coming next for them but they knew things would be okay as long as they handled everything together.

" _I'd climb every mountain and swim every ocean  
Just to be with you and fix what I've broken  
Oh, cause I need you to see,  
that you are the reason"_

 _End of Act Four_


	5. Act Five

**You Are the Reason - A Dawsey Fanfic**

 _Thanks once again for your continued support! I apologize for the delay in this act as my July got way busier than I originally planned and I just didn't have much time to write. I'm still having fun bringing this version of Dawsey to life though and I love reading all your reviews and comments. My current plan is to have this story finished by Labor Day weekend so that I can start up a new story for the fall. Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy this chapter! =)_

 **Act Five**

Matt was sitting in his office finishing his reports when his phone dinged with a text message. He picked it up and smiled when he read the message and saw the picture from his wife. "Two weeks..." was the short message from her accompanied by a very sexy selfie of her on her bed in Carolina. He typed out a quick response of "Thanks for that extra motivation to finish my reports so I can go to sleep and dream about you tonight. Two weeks! 3"

He quickly finished writing up his last report for the night and placed all of the completed reports in their folder. He grabbed his phone, clicked off the overhead light, and settled onto his bed to relax and hopefully get some sleep. He sat the phone on his side table and looked for a brief moment at the picture sitting near it. It was one of his favorite pictures of him and Gabby from the surprise wedding reception that Severide had thrown for them at Molly's. While eating their cake, he had gotten mischievous and kept trying to put icing on her face and Stella had captured the moment from behind the bar. Gabby's smile was a mile wide as he held icing close to her face while kissing her cheek. He laughed at the memory and then his thoughts turned to the last few weeks.

Gabby hadn't had an easy time being home through the holidays but thankfully, things had improved prior to her heading back to Puerto Rico. The day after New Year's, she decided she didn't want to go finish her task force work without making things right with their friends in Chicago. They invited everyone over for pizza and beer so that Gabby could tell them a little more about why she left Chicago so quickly in the fall. She and Matt didn't want to tell them about their baby issues quite yet but Gabby finally opened up about all the things she'd been struggling with internally so they could understand her decision better. The talk with everyone had gone extremely well and she had even patched things up better with Sylvie (they'd never really resolved their issues prior to her leaving…they'd just left things unsaid and hadn't talked much except for work stuff). Matt was extremely happy that this had gone well so she could head off to Puerto Rico without any extra burdens.

Of course, nothing is ever easy for him and Gabby and once she arrived back in Puerto Rico to rejoin the task force, she fell ill with that darn flu again and missed three days of work. Matt had felt helpless not being there to take care of her but Mary Elizabeth stayed with her and did what she could to get Gabby healthy again. Thankfully she was feeling better now and doing her best to get the new groups ready to do their work in Carolina.

Matt settled further into his bed and allowed himself to daydream of being reunited with his wife in two short weeks. Just as he was falling asleep and more comfortable than he thought he could get on his office bed, the alarm went off alerting Truck 81 that they were needed to help with a bus accident. Matt groaned as he left the comfort of his bed and headed out to meet his men at the truck. His much-needed rest and dreams of his wife would have to wait a little longer as duty called once again. It was several hours before Matt finally got to rest that evening. He wondered how he was going to make it through these next few shifts without going a bit crazy.

* * *

The firehouse was unusually quiet since many of the guys had wandered off to read, sleep, or find something to eat between calls. It had been a busy shift with several incidents all over the city. Everyone was pretty wiped out from being so busy but a tough apartment call had really done a number on them. Two people had died in that fire and as much as they talk about letting things go once they get back, this one was going to linger for a while since it was a mother and her young son that perished in the building. Even Chief Boden had retired to his office without saying much to the others. It was that kind of shift.

Matt had a thousand things running through his head as he walked through the house towards his office and none of them were work related. He was leaving for Puerto Rico in two days and for some reason he felt like he had a million things to do. He was mostly packed aside from a few things but he still wanted to clean the apartment before Gabby came home and he definitely needed to clean out the refrigerator. He was also behind in his paperwork for work but Chief had told him not to stress about that too much. Many of the firehouses had been extra busy so all that work was overwhelming headquarters and they had gotten behind as well.

He was deep in thought when he heard a "Hey" from Kelly Severide who was standing outside the captain's office. He smiled at his best friend and greeted him back, "Hey. How come you're not sleeping, hiding, or eating everything in the kitchen right now?"

"Because I needed a break from all the goons in that kitchen," Kelly said back laughing. "I have never seen my squad guys eat so much and I've known them a long time."

Matt laughed and invited Kelly into his office. The two men settled into seats, Matt on his office chair and Kelly on the end of the bed, sighing as they remembered their tough shift. Matt was the first to speak, "Has it always been this stressful? I mean, I know we have tough shifts and there's always something that affects us in some way, but the last couple of weeks have just seemed…."

"Overly crazy?" Kelly said finishing the sentence. Matt nodded as Kelly continued, "Yeah, it's been rough lately and I have no idea why. Are people just getting more stupid or did we miss a redistricting thing that's sending 51 out more often?"

Matt shrugged, "I haven't seen anything from headquarters about redistricting but with the way Grissom keeps changing stuff, it wouldn't shock me if he did it behind everyone's backs."

Kelly chuckled but shook his head in agreement even though he didn't think that was the actual problem. The calls had definitely been coming in more often than usual which was putting a big strain on their usually calm and fun-loving firehouse. He was worried about the guys getting overly stressed out. He turned to Matt with a suggestion, "Do you think that crime has been unusually high around the city lately? I didn't really think much about it until the other night when I was talking to Halstead and Upton at Molly's. They've been having a rough time too."

"Could be," Matt said as he leaned back slightly in his chair. "That would explain all our calls too. We have to clean up the messes and then the cops have to figure it out and arrest the bad guys. It's this vicious cycle that big cities seem to go through and apparently Chicago is right in the middle of it. I met Antonio a few nights ago for a quick dinner to catch up on things and he was exhausted too."

The two men sighed and Matt looked up at his overflowing report folder. He really did love living in Chicago but lately all the violence and tough calls were exhausting him. He looked forward to being in Puerto Rico for a week and relaxing with Gabby. He needed this vacation more than ever along with finally having his wife at home again.

"You ready to bring Dawson home?" Kelly said with a wry grin having noticed his friend's demeaner suddenly change. Matt grinned and nodded as Kelly laughed, "Yeah, that change in your emotional level wasn't noticeable at all."

Matt laughed with his friend. Kelly knew him way too well. The two chatted about setting up a double date for the two of them along with their girls after Matt and Gabby returned from Puerto Rico but it wasn't long before the alarm bell broke their conversation. The two headed out for yet another apartment fire as Matt thought again about how exhausting Chicago had been for him lately and wondered if Gabby coming home was going to be enough to get him past this.

* * *

The plane was moving along the runway towards the terminal as Matt sent a quick text off to his wife that he was safely in Puerto Rico. She sent back a big grinning smiley face and said that she would be waiting by baggage claim. He grinned at his phone. She had sent him about twelve texts asking about his flight times just that morning so he wasn't surprised that she was already waiting at the airport to pick him up. She was so adorably anxious to see him that he couldn't help smiling just thinking about her.

The plane was taking forever to taxi but the airport was extremely busy on this Saturday afternoon so he was kind of expecting it. He sat back as the plane moved closer to the terminal and soon, he saw the seat belt sign go off and heard the doors open. He wasn't sitting too far from the front so he was quick to pick up his backpack and wait for his turn to leave. He grabbed his carryon bag from the overhead compartment and headed off the plane behind his fellow passengers.

He hadn't brought a big suitcase for this trip, he didn't need any work clothes this time, so he was able to head towards baggage claim to look for Gabby. He spotted her across the room and moved in her direction. She saw him coming and the grin she gave him made his heart melt. They laughed as they embraced and held each other for a few moments. Eventually they parted and Matt gave Gabby a deep kiss before resting his forehead against hers. Life suddenly felt much calmer for him now that he was reunited with his wife.

The couple finally broke apart so they could go find a taxi to take them to Gabby's apartment. Matt noticed that Gabby was very pensive during their ride to Carolina and wondered if everything was all right. He thought about asking her about it during the ride but decided their cab driver didn't need to know their business so he kept quiet. The driver dropped them off at her front door and after paying for the ride, the couple headed into the apartment.

Gabby watched as Matt unpacked a few things from his bags in the bedroom and bathroom. She knew he had noticed her quiet mood in the cab ride and that she was going to have to explain it to him at some point but she wasn't sure how he was going to react. She was thinking about how to start the conversation when she noticed him coming towards her.

"All right babe," Matt began, "when do I get to know why you've been so quiet since I arrived? Is everything okay?"

Gabby swallowed hard. It was now or never to tell him what's been on her mind for the last few days. Matt noticed her anxiousness and walked her over to the bed to sit down. She looked like she was going to faint. Now he was worried about her.

"I guess now is as good a time as any to give you this news," she began. "Remember how I was sick in Chicago and then got sick again once I got back here?"

"Yeah," Matt said with a look of concern.

"Well," Gabby continued. "I recently found out the reason."

Matt's concern grew as he watched her try to find the words. "What is it Gabby? You know you can tell me anything. Is it an illness?"

"No," Gabby said as tears formed in her eyes. "I'm pregnant."

" _I'd climb every mountain and swim every ocean  
Just to be with you and fix what I've broken  
Oh, cause I need you to see,  
that you are the reason"_

 _End of Act Five_


	6. Act Six

**You Are the Reason - A Dawsey Fanfic**

 _Thanks once again for your great comments and encouragement! I know I left you on a cliffhanger in the last act but hopefully this act makes up for it. Enjoy! =)_

 **Act Six**

Matt felt like he couldn't breathe. His brain was trying to process the information that Gabby had just given him and he could feel his heart racing in his chest. Pregnant? How could she be pregnant? They hadn't even spent a huge amount of time together in the last few months so how could this have happened? Matt shook his head and sat down on Gabby's couch. His legs weren't holding him up very well anymore.

Gabby grew quiet as she watched her husband sit down and struggle to find a response to her announcement. A few months ago, this news would have thrilled both of them but the information about her health and their huge argument in Chicago had completely changed everything. This wasn't the happy news that it should have been for them and Gabby's heart broke as she remembered their emotional talk on their bedroom floor at home. They had decided to table all the baby discussions until after she returned so this was definitely quite a shock. She clenched her hands and tried to calm herself down.

Matt leaned back on the couch and shook his head as he continued to process this news. They hadn't even made any concrete decisions about how they were going to add a child to their family; that was supposed to be decided once she came home. His panic over her carrying a child with her health issue was suddenly a reality and he had no clue what to do. They really had been extra careful when he visited Puerto Rico over Thanksgiving and while she was at home for the holidays. He finally looked over at Gabby as she sat down next to him and saw his own worry mirrored on her face. He eyes softened and he reached out to touch her hand. He suddenly knew what he needed to do.

"Ok," he said as turned to her and took both of her hands in his, "This news was definitely not what I was expecting to hear once I arrived but we're gonna figure it out together. We just need to breathe, take some time to look at all our options, and above all else, make sure to talk to each other. We've got this Gabby."

Gabby gently smiled at him and relaxed a bit. He wasn't panicking anymore which was a good thing. She had gone through her own panic earlier in the week, a time that included a lot of crying and shaking, so much that it had caused her to run to Mary Elizabeth's for comfort, but Matt had gotten to a calmer place much faster than her. He still looked a little uncertain though which was to be expected.

"How did you find out?" he asked her after a moment. She leaned back on the couch and got more comfortable as she readied herself to tell him everything.

"Well, I didn't find out for sure until this week," Gabby began, "but I was suspicious that something wasn't right with my health when I was in Chicago for the holidays. I don't get sick very often and that flu flattened me so badly that it really shook me up. I felt a bit off the entire time I was home but I figured things would get better once I got to warmer weather. I ended up sick again not long after I got back here which worried me. Mary Elizabeth was wonderful and stayed with me when I was at my worst but even after I got through that, I still just felt, off."

Matt watched Gabby as she spoke and tried to keep his nerves calm. He hated when anyone was suffering but watching his wife struggle was extra hard for him. He reached out to hold her hand and give her some encouragement. Gabby squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile before continuing.

"So much had been happening around and with us that it didn't even occur to me that I was late. It hit me about a week ago when I looked at the calendar and realized something was off. I went to the store and bought some tests to check but I didn't get the courage to do it until a few days ago. Both tests turned up positive. I won't lie…there was a lot of panic and fear for me after I saw those results. I knew I had to tell you but I wasn't going to do that over the phone which is why I waited until today."

Gabby sighed as she finished catching Matt up. The two of them sat quietly for a moment before Matt finally reached over and gently pulled her into a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder while he rubbed her back. They were both content to remain that way for a while but Matt eventually pulled away so they could face each other on the couch again.

"So, what's the next step?" Matt asked. "Do we need to see our specialist when we get back to Chicago? Is there someone here who can help us figure this out?"

"There's a doctor in San Juan who moved here from Miami after the hurricane," Gabby replied. "She originally planned to leave after three months but she decided to stay and help out at the hospital there. She was recommended to me by one of Mary Elizabeth's friends when I was over there earlier this week, so I made an appointment with her for tomorrow afternoon if that's okay. I figured it was a good starting point."

"That sounds good to me," Matt said as he suddenly felt a yawn coming on. It had been a long day of traveling for him and now with this surprising news from Gabby, he suddenly felt exhausted. Gabby noticed his fatigue and reached out to stroke his face. He squeezed her hand again as they looked at each other and saw that she was getting tired too.

"I think we should get some sleep," Gabby suggested to him as the yawn finally overcame Matt. She smiled, "Tomorrow could be another emotional day for us depending on what information the doctor has for us."

"Yeah," Matt agreed, "I am definitely okay with getting some rest."

The couple smiled one more time at each other and then walked quietly to the bedroom to get some much-needed sleep.

* * *

Gabby and Matt waited patiently in their exam room for Dr. Bellamy and couldn't help remembering the last time they were waiting for a doctor. That was when their world changed and started all that tension that nearly derailed their marriage. Gabby sat on the exam table trying hard not to fidget while Matt stood to her left holding her hand. They knew this was the right decision to have someone help them out but they had worked hard to keep everyone else out of their baby struggles so letting a stranger into their world was slightly scary. Gabby was thinking about what to say to her when she suddenly felt Matt's hand tighten around hers. She instinctively squeezed back and knew that this wasn't going to be an easy day for them.

Matt felt Gabby squeeze his hand and he instinctively pulled her into a gentle side hug with his other arm. He made sure his voice wasn't emotional as he spoke to her, "I know this is gonna be a tough day. We have no idea what our next steps are going to be but I know we can handle this as long as we lean on each other. I've got you babe, okay?"

Gabby looked up at her husband and gave him a small smile. She tightened her grip on his hand again, accepted a kiss on the forehead from him, and allowed herself to relax for a brief time as they shared a quiet moment together.

The couple looked up as Dr. Bellamy walked into the room, giving them a smile and introducing herself. She listened quietly as Gabby and Matt told her about the previous test results and explained their current situation while jotting a few notes down on Gabby's chart. She could tell they were anxious and unsure of what to do next which made her first priority very clear: give them some valid options so they could make the right decision for themselves and above all else, be kind. Dr. Bellamy could tell that they'd been through a lot in the last few months and she wanted desperately to give them some good news.

"OK guys," the doctor began as she sat down on a stool, "First things first, I need you both to breathe. I'm going to do everything I can to help you figure this out but I really need you to breathe."

Gabby and Matt chuckled slightly but also agreed with her and let out some deep breaths to hopefully appease their new doctor.

"That's a good start," Dr. Bellamy said with a smile. "I need to run some tests on you, Gabby, so we can figure out what exactly we're dealing with here. Some of them I can do here but the others will be done in another area of the hospital. The hospital in Chicago sent me your files from your previous visit there so that I can compare all the results. I promise I will get all the information I can so that you can make the best decision for yourselves. Sound good?"

"Yes," Gabby said as Matt nodded at the doctor. "I'm ready when you are."

Dr. Bellamy smiled and gave their still interlocked hands a small pat. She was very genuine and sincere and had definitely calmed Matt and Gabby down. She got to work quickly with the blood tests that she could do there and then Gabby was wheeled off for the remaining tests while Matt waited for her in the room.

Matt was wandering around looking at all the information on the walls and reading a few articles about the hurricane recovery that were posted on a bulletin board when Gabby was wheeled back into the room. He helped the nurse get her onto the exam table and she allowed herself to relax for the first time since they got there. Gabby felt better knowing that she was in good hands with Dr. Bellamy. She remembered feeling so overwhelmed when their Chicago doctor had given them that bad news and she couldn't remember if that doctor had even given them any options. She suspected that they were so overwhelmed by everything at the time that they either tuned her out or just couldn't put any coherent thoughts together.

Matt noticed Gabby deep in thought and was going to ask her about it but was interrupted by Dr. Bellamy returning to the exam room. She told them that they still had to wait for the results from one test but that it shouldn't be a long wait. They made some small talk about her journey to Puerto Rico and enjoyed getting to know someone else who had come there to help out with the hurricane recovery. The doctor had fallen in love with the people and the area just as much as Gabby and Matt and they enjoyed hearing some of her stories from her work.

Eventually she excused herself to go and collect the other test results leaving Matt and Gabby alone in the exam room. The couple was chatting quietly about packing up Gabby's apartment and what else they wanted to do in Puerto Rico that week when Dr. Bellamy returned to their room. She looked either concerned or confused and both Gabby and Matt grew anxious since they couldn't read her face.

"Well," the doctor began as she sat back down on her stool. "I apologize for taking so long but we got some results that we weren't expecting and I wanted to be sure before I came back in here."

She got out a few scans and walked over to put them on the light. She put up the first one and turned to the couple, "This is the scan that we were sent from your doctor in Chicago and as you can see, right there is the aneurysm."

Gabby hated seeing that in print again but she nodded at the doctor as Matt cocked his head wondering where she was going with this information. The doctor then put up the scan that they had just taken and turned to the couple again, "This is the scan that we took today and you can probably tell why it took us a while to wrap our minds around this."

"Wait," Matt said as he peered at the scan, "I know you said something about having to run a different style of test with Gabby being pregnant but am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

"Yes," the doctor said. "There is no aneurysm on this scan. We ran this test again twice when we saw that just to be sure because it caught us so off guard."

Gabby and Matt were stunned and Gabby stared at the scan with her mouth hanging open. How was this possible? Matt looked just as shocked as her and they both looked at the doctor for help in processing this information.

"I'm not going to speculate on what happened to you two in Chicago," she began, "but mistakes can happen so it wouldn't shock me if something got messed up and you got the wrong test results. I've seen it happen before both here and at my hospital in Miami. However, I've been here in Puerto Rico for a long enough time to know that the people here are from a strong faith and they absolutely believe in miracles. As a doctor, it's not something that happens all the time but sometimes, we get results that we just can't explain and at the end of the day, they make perfect sense for the people we're trying to help."

Gabby felt her eyes filling with tears and she felt Matt grab her hand again. The doctor noticed their emotions and gave them a big smile. She leaned forward on her seat as she continued speaking to them, "I truly believe that good things happen to good people. It sounds like a lot of bad things have happened to the two of you over the years so maybe this is the universe's way of balancing things out? I honestly don't know but I will tell you this…I see no reason why you can't have a completely normal pregnancy Gabby."

Dr Bellamy smiled at them again and Gabby's tears finally started falling as she allowed herself to digest the news that they never expected to hear that day. Matt started breathing again and finally smiled as he also digested what the doctor had just told them. They looked at each other and immediately fell into a tight hug with Gabby's tears soaking Matt's shirt. The doctor found herself getting a little choked up watching the couple's shock and happiness and then realized that she could actually give them even more good news if they were interested.

"Well," she began with a smile as she stood up in front of Gabby and Matt, "Now that we've gotten the big news out of the way, are you two ready to see your baby?"

"We can see the baby?" Gabby exclaimed as she finally let go of Matt.

"Absolutely," Dr. Bellamy said. "Let me get the equipment set up so we can get our first good look at Baby Casey and if we're lucky, maybe we can even hear the heartbeat too."

Soon Gabby was laying on the exam room table while Dr. Bellamy got everything set to run an ultrasound. Matt was standing next to the table and his hand hadn't left Gabby's since Dr. Bellamy asked them if they wanted to see their baby. They kept looking at each other with wide eyes, still a bit in awe that they were actually going to see their little miracle.

The screen finally came on and Gabby and Matt's eyes went right to it, eager to get their first glimpse of the baby, and soon, a little peanut looking shape came into view. The doctor didn't need to but she pointed out the baby to them and said that it was perfectly healthy. She also let them know that Gabby was about 10 weeks pregnant so they were very close to being out of the first trimester. Then she hit a few buttons to check something else and a beautiful sound suddenly filled the room…their baby's heartbeat.

Gabby felt her eyes fill with tears again and Matt reached out to pull her into a side hug. They listened to their baby's heart for several minutes until Dr. Bellamy finally turned the sound off. She sent some copies of their ultrasound results to the printer so they could take them with them. Then she congratulated the couple again and excused herself to give them a moment alone. They stared at the screen for a long time until Gabby finally found some words. She turned to Matt with a shaky but happy voice, "We're really having a baby."

"We're really having a baby," Matt said smiling, "and now I have two miracles."

" _I don't wanna fight no more, I don't wanna cry no more,  
I don't wanna cry no more, come back I need you to hold me  
Closer, just a little closer, come a little closer  
I need you to hold me tonight"_

 _End of Act Six_


	7. Act Seven

**You are the Reason - Act Seven**

 _Thanks once again for all the great feedback! You guys make this process so fun for me and I'm really stoked that I happily surprised so many of you and got you teary in the last act. That makes a writer's heart feel very good! This next act happens soon after the last one as you follow what Dawsey decides to do next in the aftermath of their happy baby news. This is also the penultimate act as the next one will be the last one for this story (plus an epilogue) but not to worry, my next story is already underway and will be ready to go not long after I complete this one. Enjoy! =)_

 **Act Seven**

" _I'd climb every mountain, and swim every ocean  
Just to be with you and fix what I've broken  
Oh, cause I need you to see, that you are the reason"_

Gabby woke up feeling more content and at peace than she had in quite some time. Matt was sleeping soundly next to her with his left arm draped around her abdomen and their hands tightly clenched together as they rested right near where the baby had been located on their ultrasound. Matt's breathing was also calm and regular so she knew he had slept well too which made her happy since he'd had an even harder time than her over the last few months. She thought back to the previous day when so much had changed for the better for them.

* * *

 _After leaving their doctor appointment, Gabby had wanted to visit with Mary Elizabeth to tell her the good news about the baby but the nuns were out helping at a youth center and wouldn't be back until later that day. Matt had suggested having lunch in the city and then heading back to her apartment to figure out what all they needed to do for the next few months and how to tell everyone at home about the baby._

 _They were on their way to a restaurant not far from the hospital when they had run into their young friend Jose, his father Miguel, and stranger wearing what looked like a fire chief's uniform who were all on their way to visit some of their friends in the city. The two men from the task force greeted the couple warmly and introduced their friend as Hector Santiago. He and Miguel had grown up together on the island and he was a prominent chief in the San Juan Fire Department._

 _The group made small talk for a few moments regarding Gabby's work on the task force and the couple's upcoming trip back to Chicago. As Gabby and Matt shared with them how much they had enjoyed their time in Puerto Rico and what they would be doing once they arrived home, Hector grew interested in Matt's experiences as a firefighter captain. It turned out that the SJFD had an ongoing issue with lack of leadership. Several captains and chiefs had left the island after the hurricane and they had no plans to return which had left the FD short on officers at several firehouses. They couldn't find good leaders to help guide their young firefighters through their shifts and Hector thought Matt would be a great addition to their department. He thought they could really use someone with his skills, personable nature, and experience and asked him if he'd be interested in a job with the SJFD._

 _Matt appreciated the compliment but said that he and Gabby were due to return to Chicago at the end of the week and that he was planning to resume his position at firehouse 51. Hector was disappointed to hear that but understood their desire to go home. The group said their goodbyes and Gabby and Matt continued on to enjoy a quiet lunch together._

 _After spending time with Mary Elizabeth and the nuns, who couldn't stop smiling and hugging the couple after they gave them their happy baby news, Gabby and Matt had returned to her apartment for the evening. Their conversation was light as they worked on packing up Gabby's things but she could tell something was on Matt's mind. He was washing up some dishes in the sink when Gabby finally decided to ask him what was going on and the conversation had surprised her._

 _Matt had told her more about how things were going in Chicago and he didn't mince words about how much the latest violence in the city had affected him. He admitted that as much as he loved his job, the constant harrowing calls, the families being torn apart, and the ongoing gang violence had done a number on his emotions. He was struggling to let go of the hard calls, hadn't been sleeping well for week, and admitted that he wasn't sure if her coming home was going to make this feeling go away. The added stress of helping Boden deal with Grissom had also affected Matt's attitude and he had been extremely anxious to get to Puerto Rico for a while to take his mind off things at home. He told her that he couldn't get Hector's job offer to him out of his head and he could see himself enjoying being the leader of a young firehouse and away from the stress in Chicago.  
_

 _Gabby had watched as her husband's demeaner took a downward turn as he told her about how stressful things were at home and then brighten as he spoke about the job offer. The wheels started turning in her head and she mentioned that the urban planning team that had helped the task force with their construction work had offered her a job helping them get more communities up and running, but she had done the same thing that Matt had just done with the fire chief… turned the job down because she was planning to go home._

 _What followed after that admission was a long conversation about their solid relationship status and what they thought would be the best place for them to be when their baby was born. They talked for hours about how this decision would affect their friends and families, if they could even afford it financially, how much it would help Matt get past his stress issues from home, and where they would live on the island if they stayed here. The thought of them actually moving to Puerto Rico for a year and continuing to help the island recover made them both feel really content and peaceful. They decided to take things one step at a time and see what types of housing were available before making any other decisions._

* * *

Gabby's heart was so full of love for her husband after all the excitement from the previous day. It was amazing to know that Matt was open to making this big of a change in their life together. He had been saving his construction work earnings to help with however they were going to proceed with adding a child to their family. Now that she was pregnant though, they thought they could use some of those funds to figure out housing in Puerto Rico and hopefully find a comfortable place to settle down for a while.

She smiled as she thought about the fun day of house hunting ahead of them. She felt Matt stir next to her and snuggled into his embrace for a moment before they both eventually got up to start their day. They got ready quickly so they could meet up with local real estate agent, Dennis, who had been referred to them by Miguel (who had been ecstatic to hear that they were considering staying in Puerto Rico). They were nervous about what housing possibilities were out there but also excited to see more of the residential areas of San Juan. Matt had called fire chief Hector to set up a time later that evening for them to talk about the position he had been offered at the San Juan Fire Department but a lot of that discussion was going to depend on how their house search went today.

The couple met Dennis at an outdoor restaurant down the street from Gabby's apartment. Dennis was a pleasant, friendly gentleman who had grown up in Puerto Rico and loved helping new residents find a great home. After the introductions were done and breakfast was ordered, they got down to business setting their parameters for the house search.

"So what sort of things are you looking for in a home here?" He asked the couple. "Give me some of your necessities so I can narrow down my options for you."

"We definitely need at least two bedrooms and two baths although three would be ideal," Gabby began, "And we would really like an open concept in the main living space and kitchen area. I cook a lot so an updated kitchen is really important to me. We would love a finished basement or at least a living room and separate family room for when we have family or friends here visiting. I know we're going to need that space. I would personally like a private bathroom for the master bedroom but that's not a deal breaker if we really fall in love with a house."

"Agreed," Matt said nodding. "We also know that hurricane season is a big deal down here so having a home that's hurricane safe is really important to me. As a firefighter who might be called into service, I want to know that my family is safe if I have to go help others during a crisis. We would also love some outdoor space for entertaining and just for our own relaxation. We both work tough jobs so having that type of space to unwind would be great."

"This all sounds doable so far," Dennis said smiling as their food was brought to the table. He really liked this couple. They knew exactly what they wanted for this home and weren't afraid to ask for it. He turned to them as they all started eating their breakfast, "What type of budget are we working with? Are you hoping to own or rent? I know you mentioned on the phone that this was probably not a permanent home for you and that can make a big difference."

"That's a great question," Matt said as he poured more coffee from the carafe. "We'd discussed just renting for the next year or so, not really knowing how long we're going to be here it seemed to make sense, but after talking it over more, we actually have the means right now so we'd really like to buy a place. We figure we can rent it out during the times that we're in Chicago and then we'll have somewhere to come to for vacations when we need a break from the awful weather at home."

"Yeah," Gabby agreed. "We spoke to some other people who've rented places out to visitors and having that extra income will put less strain on our overall budget. We really don't want to go over $350,000 and we'd love it if we could find something closer to $300,000. We have a lot going on in our lives right now and don't want to max ourselves out right off the bat."

Dennis nodded as he made a few notes on his notepad. Matt gave his wife a small grin before saying, "Yeah, it's really important to keep our budget under control in this process, especially since we'll be living here for at least a year and we'll need some adjustment time before we get going with both of our jobs."

"That's a great budget," Dennis said as he looked up from the notepad. "Fortunately for you, unfortunately for the island, we've had so many people leave after Maria that we have perfectly good houses just sitting around waiting to be snatched up by a new owner. Some of them are a little rough around the edges but most of them are in great shape. Are you opposed to a home that might require a bit of fixing up?"

"I think we could handle that," Matt said wryly while Gabby laughed. "I actually own a construction company in Chicago so updating things wouldn't be a problem although I'd rather not have to do too much if I'm being honest. We're going to have a lot going on once we start getting settled here so finding time to fix things on the house won't be easy. In this instance, I think move in ready is probably better for us."

"Little things we can handle though," Gabby added as she patted her husband's hand. "I mean, if I want white cabinets but we fall in love with a house with dark ones, there's a reason there's paint available everywhere."

Everyone laughed and Dennis closed up his folder. He smiled at the couple, "This is great information. We have a lot of properties available in this area but I have three specific ones in mind that I'd really like to show you today. They all meet your needs and are well within in your budget. Let me go make some phone calls and get things ready and then I'll get in touch with you. I'm happy to drive today if that makes things easier for you two."

"Perfect," Matt said as Gabby nodded. Dennis finished his coffee, gave his payment to the waitress, and excused himself to get things set up for them. Gabby and Matt finished eating while chatting about their choices in house décor and their plans for the weekend. They received a text from Dennis as they were finishing up their coffee and went outside to wait for him.

The house search didn't start out great. The first two houses that Matt and Gabby saw didn't really suit their needs. One of them was way too spread out for Gabby's liking, especially the kitchen and living room which were nearly on opposite sides of the main floor, and the other felt too cramped within its floor plan and wasn't quite an open concept. They weren't bad houses…just not what they were hoping for out of their home.

As they approached the third house, Gabby's attention went right to the lovely landscaping and brightness of the front porch. The house was situated just outside of San Juan and up on a hill but it wasn't a far drive to get to the city. Matt appreciated that this wasn't a cookie cutter home and had a lot of original features on the outside including a nice porch and brightly colored shutters.

"This house is a 4-bedroom 3 bath, two story home," Dennis said as he took the couple up the walkway. "The owner of this house actually used this as a rental property for many years but he's interested in selling it now because he doesn't need the extra income anymore with all his kids now out of the house. It's been kept in impeccable shape and has all the protection you would need from hurricane type weather."

"Sounds good so far," Matt said as he noticed a cute swing on the porch. "Since this was a rental, does it come furnished?"

"Yes, it does," Dennis said smiling. "The owner furnished it for renting and doesn't need any of that back once he sells the property. Are you ready to see it?"

Matt and Gabby nodded and followed Dennis into the house. The entryway led right into the main living area which was very simply but tastefully decorated. A spacious kitchen was off to the left and Gabby lit up at seeing updated appliances and a large island. The house had an open feel without feeling overwhelming large which the couple appreciated after that first large house. They walked around the island and into the living area when Gabby's eyes lit up at the sight of the view. There was a deck off the living room and when they went outside, they saw that they had an amazing view of the water. There was some comfortable looking deck furniture all ready there along with a nice sized grill that made Matt smile. They could imagine spending lots of time on that deck just watching the waves and having a drink together.

They went back into the house to check out the rest of the main floor. The master bedroom and bath along with another bedroom and bathroom were off to one side while a dining area and the stairs to the lower level were on the other side. The master bedroom had an amazing in suite bathroom and the room itself was peaceful with an amazing view of the water and its own door to the deck. Everything was up to date in both bathrooms and the other bedroom was a decent size.

They walked down the stairs to see the lower level and found a great sized family room along with two more bedrooms and the third bathroom. The family room was more casual than the living room and had a bar area that included a small fridge, sink, and microwave. The two bedrooms were nice sized and once again, the bathroom was up to date. There was also a beautiful view of the water and greenery in the backyard which gave the room a homey and comfortable touch.

Matt and Gabby were very impressed with the house. They went out onto the deck to talk in private and decided that they were interested in putting an offer in but they were nervous about the cost. Everything was so nice that they were afraid this one was going to push their budget or go over it altogether. As Dennis joined them on the deck, he saw that they were very interested but also noticed their anxiety about the price. He put their minds at ease right away by letting them know that the home was listed for $334,000 which was well within their budget.

Gabby and Matt were thrilled and immediately said that they wanted to put in an offer. This house was perfect for them and their growing family and with it all ready having a rental history, there wouldn't be much for them to do if they wanted to rent it out when they weren't in Puerto Rico. The group headed over to Dennis' office to draw up the paperwork and once that was all complete, the tough part began for them…waiting to see if their offer was accepted by the owner.

Gabby went to meet with the urban planning director about the position she had been offered several weeks ago while Matt met up with Chief Santiago about his offer to help run one of his firehouses in San Juan (which also turned into an offer for Matt to teach a class or two at their fire academy). Both meetings went extremely well and when the couple met up again for dinner, they were both ready to accept the job offers as long as their house offer went through.

They were enjoying some dessert after a long, amazing dinner when Matt's phone beeped with a text message. Both of them looked up with surprise, they weren't expecting an answer to their offer this quickly, and Matt picked up his phone to check the message. Gabby held her breath while he read through his messages and then Matt's face broke into a huge smile. He reached for her hand as he gave her the news, "We got the house!" 

END OF ACT SEVEN


	8. Act Eight

**You are the Reason - Act Eight**

 _So, this is the last official act of this story (with an epilogue still to come!) and I wanted to say again how grateful I am for all your support throughout this process. I've really enjoyed telling this story and I'm so glad that you've enjoyed it as well. Please let me know what you think of this act and I hope you like it! =)_

 **Act Eight**

Gabby was standing in the kitchen of her Chicago apartment trying to figure out what she needed to pack for Puerto Rico and what could stay there. She threw a couple more serving spoons in the box and decided to leave the rest in the drawer. It was hard thinking about what she definitely needed to take now versus what she may or may not need but could easily buy once they were settled into their house in San Juan.

The last few weeks had been a giant blur for her and Matt. Once they got word that their offer on that house in Puerto Rico was accepted, they were able to meet with the owner at a later time during their vacation to figure out all the details for the sale. Their realtors, the bank, and the owner himself were amazing at getting all the details settled quicker than normal since they were moving there from so far away. They had scheduled their closing date for a few days before Matt and Gabby were due to start their new jobs there and the owner had no problem with them moving into the house early. He really liked and admired them for all the work they'd done to help his country recover from the hurricane so helping make their move smoother was no problem for him.

After their week of vacation, Matt and Gabby had returned to Chicago unsure of how their friends and family were going to react to the news that they were going to spend at least a year away working in Puerto Rico. Gabby had all ready spent over half a year away from them and now Matt was leaving too so they had a bit of anxiety about telling everyone this big news. They knew they were making the right decision for them and now the challenge was figuring out how to express that to their loved ones without making them feel like they were being left out.

They were able to leave a few of Gabby's things in their new house (the current owner had really gone out of his way to help them with logistics for their move) which made their trip back to Chicago a bit easier with them having less luggage. They'd arrived home with no problems but the long day of travel had worn Gabby out so they went right to bed to get some much-needed rest. She was just coming to the end of her first trimester of the pregnancy so her energy level was still low and getting her some extra rest was priority number one for Matt.

The next day wasn't a scheduled work day for Matt so they had called Chief Boden to find out if they could come over to his house to talk to him. Matt didn't want his Chief to hear their big news from anyone but them so they decided to talk to him first before heading to the CFD headquarters to arrange things with Matt's job. Thankfully the chief was home (and Donna was out with Terrance) so they were able to come over for lunch to chat about everything.

To say that the Chief was surprised by their news would be an understatement but once he heard about the baby and how exactly Gabby and Matt had come to their decision about moving away for a while, he understood and couldn't stop hugging them. He knew Matt had been unhappy at work but wasn't sure what he could do to help him. He'd been hiding some deep pain for all these months but now the chief saw a peace and excitement in his captain's face that he hadn't seen in a long time so he knew this was a good decision for them. It ended up being an enjoyable afternoon with the chief and it gave Matt and Gabby some confidence that their friends and family would also understand their decision.

The couple went to CFD headquarters after their visit with the chief so Matt could talk to his superiors and figure out how things were going to work with his job. Obviously, Matt wasn't going to be away forever so he wanted to find out what his options were so as not to lose his standing with the CFD. Since he was going to be working for another fire department, and the CFD didn't want to lose one of their more promising captains, they were able to arrange it so his job in Puerto Rico still counted as time served for the CFD as a sort of exchange program. The commissioner for the SJFD had no problem with this and even offered to send one of his officers to Chicago for a time so they could gather information to bring back to their department there. The CFD higher-ups liked that idea and the two departments decided to work out those details later. Matt was thrilled that he would still be able to have a job in Chicago once his time in San Juan was complete. He didn't like the thought of coming home with his wife and baby and not having the opportunity to continue his work with the CFD.

The first day that Matt returned to work at firehouse 51 was a wild one to say the least. Gabby didn't return to the CFD so she planned to join everyone for dinner later in the shift but the calls started coming in and didn't let up for several hours. Matt finally had to call her to let her know not to come that evening since everyone was exhausted and probably wouldn't react well to their news in their current state. Matt was happier than normal for that shift, which his friends chalked up to having Gabby home again, and Matt decided not to give them any other information until he and Gabby could speak to them all together.

Eventually, Gabby and Matt were able to get everyone together at Molly's where they were finally able to share their relocating news with everyone. They were just as shocked as Chief Boden had been and couldn't understand what had happened to make them want to leave Chicago for such a long time. The couple tried to explain about their opportunities and the people that they were helping but all they seemed to see was two of their friends being happy to move away for a long time. They never even got to tell them about the baby or how much they'd been through up to that point (and shockingly, no one seemed to notice that Gabby wasn't drinking at all) so it had turned out to be a disappointing evening overall.

Gabby sighed as she closed up the box of kitchen items and moved it to the other group of boxes near their kitchen table. They had been home for almost three weeks now and while a few of their friends had come around on their decision to live in San Juan for a year, most hadn't spoken much to them which had made things a bit uncomfortable. She knew it was going to be an adjustment for them but at the same time, it wasn't like they were saying, "Hey, we're going away for a while…don't come visit" or "We won't see you now for over a year". They had plans to come home and visit when they could (and before Gabby couldn't fly anymore due to her pregnancy) and they planned for their home in San Juan to be open and welcoming to anyone who wanted to come visit.

As she moved from the kitchen to the living room, she looked around to check their packing progress. They had to make a tough decision about what to do with their apartment in Chicago while they were gone. They originally thought they would just sublet it to another tenant until they came home but after talking about it more, they decided they would rather just move out of the apartment all together and eventually find that fixer upper house they'd been dreaming about for years so they could fix that up as a forever home for their little family. It was the right decision but it also meant they had to basically pack twice, once for anything they wanted to take to their home in San Juan and a second time for all the things they were going to put in storage for a year. They were very thankful for the Pod that they were able to rent for a year that would keep their furniture and winter clothes safe while they were away. The Pod was going to arrive in two days so they were putting all their San Juan stuff in the kitchen and packing up everything else into the living room. They were also getting rid of a bunch of stuff and that was going to be picked up later in the week. They still had about a week to go before they moved and Gabby felt like all they had done since they got home was pack.

She heard the door in the kitchen open and realized Matt was home from work. This was his last official shift as captain at firehouse 51 (the CFD had guaranteed him a job when they returned, but not one at his current firehouse). He'd been anxious about this shift since they got his work situation taken care of but when he came into the living room after dropping off their dinner of pizza on the table, he actually had a smile on his face. She smiled back at him and reached out for a hug which he happily returned.

"I guess today went well?" She asked him as they parted. "You were so nervous for this shift but you look happy right now."

"Yeah," Matt said as he grinned at her. "It actually went really well. I mean, we were busy and all but it wasn't like some of the other calls that we'd had in the last few months. It's like the universe decided to give me a break since it was my last shift and gave the house some mundane calls to handle for this shift. That was a nice change for me."

"That's great," Gabby said as she patted his arms and sat down on the couch. Her energy level had gotten better now that she was 13 weeks along in her pregnancy and past that dreaded first trimester but all the packing and organizing was still wiping her out. It would wipe out anyone though with how much they had to do. Matt sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders pulling her close to him. She relaxed into his side and closed her eyes. They still had a lot to do but now that Matt wasn't working anymore, things were going to move much faster in their preparation to move.

"The guys asked if we were coming to Molly's tonight and I said I didn't know," Matt said as he rubbed Gabby's back and shoulder. "I wanted to talk to you first since you were packing all day and might not be up for it. I said I would let them know. Do you think you're up for it?"

"Let me get a good power nap after dinner and then I could probably handle a few hours out with everyone," Gabby said as she fought off a yawn. "If they want us to come out with them, maybe that's a good sign that they're getting used to the idea of us going away for a while and want to spend more time with us before we leave. We really do need to tell them about the baby soon." She wasn't happy that they hadn't been able to share that part of their news with their friends yet.

"Absolutely," Matt said as he took out his phone to text Severide. "We should tell them tonight since the whole group should be there. I'll let Kelly know that we'll be there around 8:30 PM which should give you a chance to take a decent nap after we eat."

"Perfect," Gabby said as she got up to get some pizza. She was famished and the smell was making her even more hungry. After he finished texting Severide, Matt joined her in the kitchen and they enjoyed sharing dinner together.

* * *

Matt and Gabby arrived at Molly's a little past 8:30 PM and were excited to spend an evening out with their friends. Matt parked outside the bar and both of them looked around puzzled since there weren't many of their friends cars parked around them. Severide had said the time was great and that everyone had said they would be there but the bar looked deserted. They walked up to the door and it still seemed quiet but they shrugged and opened the door anyway. The room was dark and quiet until Matt and Gabby were both standing inside and then they got the shock of their life.

"SURPRISE!"

The lights came up and not only were all their friends there, most of their family members were there too, and the bar was decorated with a beach theme. Their friends had thrown them a surprise going away party and their actions in the last two weeks had been them trying to keep the party a surprise. Matt and Gabby were completely stunned and totally overwhelmed by their friends thoughtful gesture. Poor Gabby was so hormonal from her pregnancy though that she burst into tears the minute they all started cheering for them. Matt quickly wrapped her in a hug and let everyone know that those were happy tears and not sad ones.

Everyone laughed and then Gabby's tears were replaced by hugs and smiles as everyone took their turns coming up to them to wish them well. Matt and Gabby enjoyed talking to some of the friends that they hadn't seen in a while and chatting with their closest friends from the firehouse. They were so engrossed in conversation that no one noticed Gabby not having any alcohol again until Stella came up to the couple to replace the beer that Matt had just finished and tried to give Gabby one too. She declined the offer and when Stella gave her a weird look, the couple knew they needed to make their announcement now.

Matt cleared his throat as the couple took positions near the front of the bar. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to the couple anxious to hear what they had to say. He smiled at Gabby as they silently decided he would start things off and then she would take over to tell them about the baby. Matt looked out at everyone and smiled as he began his speech.

"You guys have no idea how much this party means to Gabby and me," he said as he patted Gabby on the back. "We were really nervous about telling you guys our plans because we didn't want you to think we were just up and leaving you. In all honesty, it wasn't an easy decision but after talking so much about it, we know this is the right decision for us. I promise this isn't goodbye forever. We have every intention of coming home after our year of work is finished and our home in San Juan will be open for visitors as soon as we get settled there so please come visit us anytime while we're there!"

"Oh, you can count on that!" Severide said laughing as he held up his beer to toast Matt and Gabby. Everyone laughed but also agreed with the sentiment and Matt toasted Sev back with his own beer while Gabby pointed in his direction with a smile. Matt continued with his speech as he prepared to segue things over to Gabby.

"We're actually excited about this great opportunity. It wasn't something we were looking for, it kind of came out of nowhere, but the more we thought about it, the more it made sense for us to take the chance while we have the flexibility and opportunity. Most of you know that I've been struggling with my work here in Chicago in the wake of all the violence and crime. I wasn't sure how I was going to get past it, part of me wondered if it was just getting to me more because Gabby wasn't here, but even when she was home at the holidays, it was still on my mind and stressing me out."

"Hearing about the work that Gabby was doing in Puerto Rico, and then being part of it myself a few times, put things into better perspective for me. There's so many people still hurting there and a lot of their citizens left the country in the wake of the hurricane which left the country short staffed in some vital public service roles. The folks left behind have struggled but are so appreciative of the tiniest ways that they receive help. One gentleman this fall was so happy that we helped his family with their home repairs that he provided us all with time away at his beachfront resort free of charge, and that sort of mentality was something that was missing for me here. Everyone we helped here seemed to be hurting, angry, or ready for revenge and that was seeping into my psyche too. The feeling of helping these grateful people rebuild a home or repair a roof on a youth center was doing more for my well-being than anything else at that point which is why we feel like this decision is the right one for us right now. There's also another reason for this decision but I'm gonna let Gabby handle that part."

Matt turned to his wife and saw that she was finally ready to tell her part of the story. This was the first time they were going to share with their friends about their baby struggles so he made sure to be right next to her for support and gave her a look of encouragement as she started to talk.

"This is the first time that Matt and I are sharing this situation with most of you so bear with me if I get a little emotional about it," Gabby began. "This isn't easy for me to say but I know it's time to let you all know some of the things we've been struggling with for all these months."

"Last summer Matt and I were in the process of trying to have a baby. Things weren't moving quite as fast as we would have liked so in my normal Gabby way, I thought it was a good idea to get checked out to make sure everything was good with me. Well, it turned out that it wasn't. The doctor told me that I had an abdominal aneurysm from my previous miscarriage and that me getting pregnant wasn't a good idea because it would be dangerous for my health."

Gabby paused for a minute to catch her breath and the shocked and sad looks from all their friends and family confirmed that it was a good choice to stop for a moment. Matt was surprised to see their friends react so strongly to that news. He had no idea how much everyone had been rooting for them to have a family. He gave his wife a pat on the back as if to remind her that this wasn't the end of their story.

"Obviously that wasn't the news that either of us wanted to hear and we didn't react well at all. We started arguing with each other all the time, we both got stubborn about what we each thought was the best way to move forward, and we had what I can only describe as the worst argument you can ever have with your spouse right before I left for Puerto Rico. It was really ugly and it left both of us pretty broken. This was on top of all the things that were going on inside me related to losing Shay so you can imagine how emotional and broken we both were inside by that point."

"Eventually, we were able to calm down enough to have a coherent conversation and that's when I decided that getting away from Chicago for a while would be a good thing, not only for my own well-being but for us as a couple so we could properly process the baby news. We were so busy talking at each other that we stopped talking to each other and if I had stayed in town, I think our relationship would have fallen apart. We were finally able to talk through things both while I was gone and during our trips to see each other and I'm happy to report that we're firmly on solid ground now after some tough moments over these last months."

Gabby paused for a moment to smile at Matt and then continued with the happier part of their news, "We put all the baby decisions on hold while I was gone with plans to figure it out once I got home but then I started getting sick, first while I was home for the holidays and then when I was back in Carolina, and once I figured out what was wrong, we got quite the shock. It turned out that I was pregnant…and it scared me to death because I knew that I basically had a ticking time bomb inside my abdomen and now that bomb was in danger of going off."

The crowd was hanging on Gabby's every word and Matt smiled inwardly as he prepared to see their reactions to the last part of the story. The best part was still to come.

"So, during Matt's last trip to Carolina when he was to help me move home, we talked about the pregnancy and what we were going to do about this situation. We decided to see a doctor in San Juan and see what advice she had for us. Once at the doctor, we were prepared to have to terminate the pregnancy if that's what she thought best, but when she ran the tests on me, she discovered that, to everyone's shock, the aneurysm wasn't there anymore."

The crowd reacted with shock and gasps, just as Matt thought they would, and Gabby continued with the last part of their story. "Yup, we saw it with our own eyes and we still didn't believe it. She ran the test twice though and that bomb inside of me is no longer there. We still don't know how or why but we're not going to argue with technology. We went to our doctor here to check again and she also didn't find anything so I am officially in the clear…"

"Wait," Antonio said with a start, "Does this mean…."

"Yes," Gabby said smiling, "Matt and I are officially having a baby!"

The cheers from the crowd drowned out Matt's laughter as the couple watched everyone react to that news. He gave Gabby a hug of support, he knew that hadn't been easy for her to say to everyone, and they shared a special look before they heard Herrmann asking them for more baby information.

"I'm about 13 weeks along now," Gabby began, "and both doctors have said that the baby is healthy and right where it's supposed to be. We've also heard the heartbeat which made us both bawl like babies ourselves when we first heard it in San Juan. I'm finally not feeling exhausted all the time although I am pretty much ready to eat everything in sight."

Their friends couldn't stop smiling at the couple as Gabby finished her part of the story, "This is actually another part of the reason that we want to stay in Puerto Rico for a while. We feel like we've been given a gift with this baby and giving something more back to the country that helped us get to this point seemed like a good thing to do."

The party really kicked into high gear after Matt and Gabby's happy news and everyone enjoyed the rest of their evening together. Knowing that the couple had no intention of being gone forever had helped their friends be happier about the decision and they were all anxious for the couple to know that they had their full support as they took on these new roles in a new country.

* * *

The next few days went by in a blur for Matt and Gabby as they finished their preparations for the big move. They changed their mailing address with the post office, finished filling out all the paperwork that the CFD requested regarding their new jobs, shipped the stuff that they wanted to have in San Juan to be delivered to their new house, donated all their old items to Goodwill, and moved all the furniture and items they were leaving in Chicago to the Pod now parked outside their front door. Thankfully their friends came by to help move the big stuff to the Pod so that job went quickly.

The day had finally come that they were to fly to San Juan to start their new life and Gabby felt a bit anxious now that they were finished closing up their apartment in Chicago. There were a couple of large suitcases, Matt's backpack, Gabby's shoulder bag, and a couple of carry on suitcases on the floor but everything else was now gone from their apartment. Gabby looked around and remembered all the good memories that they'd made in that place such as their time with Louie, when they'd had Severide living with them, the poker nights, the movie nights, the family dinners, and of course their romantic moments. She also thought about the sad times such as when they'd lost their first baby, when they'd broken up for a time when she was a firefighter candidate, when they had to say goodbye to Louie and deal with that loss, and their huge fight from the previous fall.

Gabby was lost in all those thoughts when Matt returned to the living room. He had gone outside to finish settling things for their Pod that was being taken that morning to be stored for them until they returned to Chicago. He saw her looking around and came up behind her to rest his hands on her now growing belly. She relaxed into his embrace and placed her hands on top of his as they took in their apartment for one last time.

"We've had so many great memories here Gabby," Matt said quietly, "and I know we're never gonna forget them, but I'm so ready to make new memories with you and our growing little miracle. It's scary, it's a big change, it's something we've never really done before, but I think it's also going to be amazing."

Gabby turned to look at her hubby and gave him one of her biggest smiles. He was right. This was a big change for them but the opportunity in front of them was so full of possibilities that they were excited to see what this new life would bring them. She gave him a kiss and they remained in that embrace for a few moments before finally parting and gathering up their things. A cab was waiting to take them to the airport and soon, they would be in their new home and ready to start their new adventure together.

END OF ACT EIGHT


	9. Epilogue

**You Are the Reason – Epilogue**

 _It didn't feel right for me to just leave this story where it was at the end of Act 8, even though my intention for the story was never about their time living in PR for that year, so I wrote up this epilogue for everyone. This is mainly so you could have an idea of how I envisioned Dawsey returning home with their baby as well as some mention of how their time away went for them. I hope you guys enjoy it and thanks so much again for all the support with this story! =)_

 **Epilogue**

The airport was quiet on the Thursday morning that Matt, Gabby, and their five month old daughter, Hannah, were there waiting to board their flight home to Chicago. They had been living in San Juan, Puerto Rico for over a year and even though they'd had pangs of homesickness at times, they really had enjoyed being part of their new community. Their home there was closed up for the moment, they were planning to come back in about a month or so with a group of friends and family so there was no need to rent it out right now, and they had shipped the majority of their luggage home so they could focus on keeping Hannah calm on the flight.

The baby was nursing at the moment, Matt keeping a tight hold on the blanket that gave his wife and daughter some privacy in their corner of the waiting area, and the couple was hopeful that the time they had chosen to fly would work out for Hannah to sleep for most of the journey. They had a layover in Charlotte where they could hopefully feed her again, change her, and then have her be awake for a little while before hopefully sleeping for the last leg of their journey home. She was such a good baby overall that she had already handled the trip to the airport with no problems so they weren't overly worried about how she was going to handle the flights.

Matt checked the departure board again, their flight wasn't due to board for another half hour, and then smiled as he looked as his wife and daughter. Gabby's pregnancy had gone surprisingly well overall. There were a few things that happened along the way that as first time parents they might have been a little overzealous about but Dr. Bellamy had been amazing at guiding them through it. She helped them with every single issue and never lost her quiet confidence in them and always provided a comforting voice. She was a gem and Gabby and Matt were grateful to have had her helping them navigate this new experience.

The labor and delivery had been quite an adventure. Matt wasn't sure he'd ever heard Gabby scream some of the things that she did when labor got really intense, but baby Hannah was born on Halloween night with no problems and both of her parents immediately fell in love with her. She was a smiley, cuddly, and expressive baby right from the start and both parents found features in her that reminded them of each other. She was the spitting image of her mom with her dark complexion and dark hair but her blue eyes, dimples, and kind smile were all her dad.

Both Matt and Gabby were able to take some time away from work to be at home with Hannah that first month. Matt eventually had to go back to work but Gabby was actually able to transition her work to their home so she was able to work remotely for the rest of their time in San Juan. This turned out to be a blessing because it meant they didn't have to worry about child care for Hannah and the baby also didn't have to leave their home too early.

The couple had each found a lot of joy in their respective work. Matt's firehouse gave him a much more flexible schedule than he ever had with the CFD although he still worked 24 hours on and 48 hours off. When things came up with the pregnancy or they made plans to go home, the other captain and the two young lieutenants were more than happy to move things around so Matt could have extra time off. They were outstanding officers and he felt like he learned more from them than they learned from him. The one lieutenant, James, went to Chicago for about a month during the winter to complete the exchange program that the CFD and SJFD had arranged back in the spring, and while he had enjoyed the overall experience, he couldn't stop talking about how much he loved seeing snow for the first time once he returned to his firehouse in San Juan.

Matt had also enjoyed getting to know the young firefighters on his shift and they absorbed everything he said like a sponge. They liked hearing the stories from his days with the CFD and were happy to share some of their stories too, some of which were much more harrowing than Matt had expected, but on an island, the calls can literally be anything from a car accident, a bus accident, a boat accident, or even all three together. The fires were much harder to fight too with the weather being warm, sometimes downright hot, all year round. On their calls Matt found himself attentive and protective of his team while also trying to teach them the best ways to be safe and quick when they were on a rescue or fighting a fire.

Gabby's position with the urban planning department turned out to be a very flexible and enjoyable position. She worked with a staff of people who were tasked with creating new ways for San Juan to be safer in the wake of natural disasters. Her experience as a paramedic and firefighter gave them valuable information to go on and she enjoyed getting to know the knowledgeable staff in her office. They were from various positions themselves and had come together in this department with a shared love of the island and a deep desire to help make things better for the future. Gabby started off traveling with the team to various locations and projects but eventually, when her pregnancy got too far along, she became the team's liaison to the main office and remained in that role until going on maternity leave.

Matt was startled out of his thoughts by the announcement that their plane would be boarding in ten minutes. Gabby had finished feeding and burping Hannah and she gave the baby to Matt so she could pack up her things for their flight. Matt cradled his daughter in his right arm and gave her a goofy face which made her giggle. He loved making her laugh and she was such a bubbly baby that he and Gabby found themselves laughing with her quite often.

Gabby finished putting her things away and they then heard the announcement for boarding to begin. They were at the start of boarding due to traveling with a baby so they made their way up to the gate together to wait for their turn. Matt let Hannah rest her head on his shoulder, she would probably be asleep before the plane took off, and he used his other hand to rub Gabby's back. They had come such a long way since that horrible fight in their old Chicago kitchen and they both knew now that even if they could, they wouldn't change a single thing about their journey. Everything that they'd been through, every hardship, fight, and separation, had only made them stronger as a couple, and as they boarded their plane for home, they were excited to see what the future had in store for them on the next part of their journey together.

THE END


End file.
